Thursday, March 28, 2019

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Child Rapists Now Face Life in Prison

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 04:42 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW—The President of Myanmar on Tuesday signed into law an amendment to the Penal Code allowing courts to jail child rapists for life.

Upper House lawmaker U Aung Thein submitted the amendment proposal to Parliament late last year. The new provision was published in the March 26 issue of the state run newspaper Kyemon Daily.

"I submitted the proposal to impose sentences of 20 years' to life imprisonment for those who rape children under 12 years of age," U Aung Thein told The Irrawaddy.

The amendment also defines a life sentence as imprisonment "until death."

The amendment supplements Article 376 of the Penal Code, which imposes a minimum of 20 years and a maximum term of life for rapists.

U Aung Thein said he submitted the proposal because he felt the maximum sentence for child rapists of 20 years in prison prescribed in the original version of the law was not sufficient.

As lawmakers had differing views on his proposal, it was put to a vote in the Union Parliament. "It has finally come into effect some four months after I submitted the proposal," U Aung Thein said.

Most women's rights activists have welcomed the new provision. There were even demands for capital punishment to be imposed on rapists after an alarming increase in child rape cases in the former capital of Yangon and elsewhere in the country early last year.

"This amendment will be a deterrent. It will help protect women and girls," said Mai Thant Zin Oo, the founder and director of the Asho Women Organization.

Child rape cases accounted for 61 percent of all rape cases nationwide in 2016; 64 percent in 2017; and 68 percent through April 2018, Deputy Home Affairs Minister General Aung Thu told the Lower House of Parliament in June last year.

The child-rape victims in cases reported from January through April last year included children aged as young as 2 to 5. Girls aged 14-16 were the most vulnerable. Most of the perpetrators were aged between 19 and 50.

Along with stepfathers and other relatives, some rapes were even perpetrated by fathers. Most of the offenses were committed by strangers.

The Myanmar Police Force claimed to have brought 96.72 percent of the offenders in child-rape cases to trial in 2016; 97.99 percent in 2017; and 67.17 percent from January through April last year.

Twenty-year prison terms were handed to 18 perpetrators in 2016 and to 25 perpetrators in 2017. One was sentenced to death in 2018.

The post Child Rapists Now Face Life in Prison appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Harsh Public Criticism for Myanmar Academy Awards

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 04:41 AM PDT

YANGON—Myanmar's own Oscars, the Myanmar Motion Picture Academy Awards ceremony, was held on Saturday at The One Entertainment Park in Yangon, and proved one of the most controversial events in the local entertainment industry so far this year. Movie lovers have denounced the academy board's awarding decisions as unfair and biased.

But this is not the first time the Academy Awards have caused disagreement. Last year's event also stoked public argument when the awards for the Myanmar film industry, which is widely believed to be transforming and modernizing, failed to recognized the new style of creative movies made by emerging directors at the event.

In recent years, a small group of young local directors have begun a new creative wave of filmmaking in the stagnant Myanmar movie industry and their attempts have been highly praised by the public. Their movies are imaginative with strong storylines and this is in contrast to other local commercial movies which tend to be low-budget and lack imagination, using the same unrealistic dialogue repeatedly which are made by movie companies said to be more interested in making money than art.

Zenn Kyi and Christina Kyi attend the Academy Awards ceremony 2018. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy

Last year, it was highly anticipated that "Mudras Calling," a movie directed by Christina Kyi, which was screened at a number of international film festivals and won the Silver Palm Award at the Mexico Film Festival and a Platinum Award from The International Student, Newcomer, and Woman Movie Awards (ISENMA), would win at least one major award. However, Christina Kyi went home without a single award.

"We make the best decision and tried our best to be fair without personal feelings. Therefore, audiences should make a decision without personal feelings too," board member of the Myanmar Academy Awards U Kyi Soe Tun told The Irrawaddy.

"The directors, actors and actresses who didn't win the awards—it isn't because of they aren't good enough. The winners are a little bit smarter than them," he said.

This year, another movie by Christina Kyi, "Oo Pel Tan Myin," which smashed local box office records with eight straight weeks of screenings and which made its way as far a cinema screens in Singapore, did not win any Academy awards.

The film is a drama-thriller and used many new actors who underwent thorough training on acting and script reading before shooting. Movie goers were expecting the villain, supporting actor Aung Myint Myat, to win Best Supporting Actor but, again, he went home empty-handed.

People have strongly criticized the decision of the judging panel which is made up of members of the academy board and the Myanmar Motion Picture Organization, and critics are asking the question, Will the Myanmar film industry continue in the same old way?

"This year, the academy awarding ceremony was really shameful. Audiences are not stupid at all. Everyone knows who deserved to win the award," said former Academy Award-winning movie star U Lwin Moe.

Director Na Gyi (director of "Mi") and actress Paing Phyo Thu (leading actress) attending the 67th Myanmar Motion Picture Academy Awards ceremony on March 23, 2019. / Aung Kyaw Htet / The Irrawaddy

Another disappointment that fueled the audience's anger was that a popular film called "Mi" won no awards.

"Mi," the name of the main character, is a movie adaptation of a famous Myanmar novel by Kyi Aye and it was directed by Na Gyi. On its release, the film received glowing praise both from film critics and fellow artists for its directorial skill, the film's preparation, cinematography, costume design and location setting. Myanmar audiences particularly appreciated the efforts made in even the smallest details like the props and décor which accurately reflected Myanmar society in the 1940s which is when the story is set.

It's the first ever local movie which created an entire costume set and used a make-up style which was in fashion during that period, the 1940s. It impressed movie goers who were sure the movie would be awarded an Academy Award for best costume design at least.

Before the awarding ceremony started, speaking to a local TV channel which was live streaming the event, Christina Kyi said, "I came here to see whether the film industry will go [forward] with a new style or [choose to stick to] the same old methods. I don't expect to win an award myself but I'm excited for the actors from my films."

She added, "Now, filmmakers are separated into two groups and audiences are too. If the organization is going to give the awards to the same old acting, I will have to face more struggles in the future to work in this industry."

By the end of the event, it's likely Christina Kyi got a clear answer on the future of Myanmar's movie industry where it's likely there won't be recognition for even the most outstanding modern movies made in Myanmar. Despite this being a continuing struggle for her, her loyal audiences hope she can produce more outstanding movies in the future.

The post Harsh Public Criticism for Myanmar Academy Awards appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Military Reprimands  Rebel Group Over Drug Seizure, Detentions in Mon State

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 04:36 AM PDT

Mon State’s border affairs minister has rebuked the New Mon State Party (NMSP) for conducting anti-narcotics operations in areas under the government’s control in Mudon Township.

Col. Nay Htut Oo sent a letter to the NMSP’s liaison office in the state capital of Moulmein on Friday  accusing the group of violated the terms of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) it signed with the government.

On March 20, fighters for the group’s armed wing, the Mon National Liberation Army (NMLA), detained eight people and seized about 500 amphetamine tablets and about 6.5 kg of kraton, a leaf that some locals boil in water to produce an illicit narcotic.

In his letter, Col. Nay Htut Oo said the NCA stipulates that the NMLA could not interfere in government affairs in areas under government control. He asked the NMLA to release the eight detainees but the group refused, raising tensions in the area.

An NMSP source said one of the detainees was a son of a Myanmar army officer with Light Infantry Battalion 209, based in Mudon, and was carrying 90 amphetamine tablets when caught.

On March 21, the Myanmar army sent two truckloads of soldiers to the scene of the NMLA operation, a former base of the group’s, and occupied the site for two days, according to local rubber farmers.

The spokesman for the NMSP could not be reached for comment.

Drug use is widespread in Mon State, but the government and military have refused to let the NMSP combat the drug trade outside of its areas of control since it singed the NCA last year, leaving traffickers with less to worry about. Local police have made few arrests.

The Mon Young Monks Network (MYMN) said in a statement on Wednesday that it supported the NMSP’s anti-narcotics efforts as an effective way to combat the social ills of the state’s drug trade and suggested the government work with the group rather than against it.

"The government should find the best way to cooperate with the NMSP," it said.

The post Military Reprimands  Rebel Group Over Drug Seizure, Detentions in Mon State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Naga Group Leaders Charged with Unlawful Association

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 03:20 AM PDT

Police in Khamti, Sagaing Region on Tuesday charged five leaders of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang with violating Article 17/1 of the Unlawful Association Act. The five were detained by the Myanmar military earlier this month following a January raid on the group's headquarters in Taga.

NSCN-K Peace Committee leader U An Kam, spokesman U Kyaw Wan Sein, official U Saw Htein and officers Major-General Aung Mai and Lieutenant-Colonel Aung Sai were arrested during the March 9 raid on their liaison office in Khamti Township. They had come into town to attend a meeting with Naga civil society groups, according to sources close to the NSCN-K.

'They came to join the meeting organized by the Naga Cultural Central Committee on March 8, three weeks ago, to discuss peace in the Naga region, but were arrested the following day; it should not have happened that way," said a Naga civil society member who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The person told The Irrawaddy on Thursday that the "NSCN-K leaders were transferred to police custody on March 26 and informed they were to be charged under the Unlawful Association Act."

The Myanmar military (or Tatmadaw) seized the NSCN-K's headquarters in late January. Most of the armed group's troops withdrew from the base, but a few Naga leaders remained in the area to try and resolve the tensions.

At a press conference in Naypyitaw on Monday, Tatmadaw spokesman Major-General Soe Naing Oo said that since it occupied the headquarters, the military had arrested 36 people in NSCN-K areas and discovered one body. The Tatmadaw repeated its stance that it would not tolerate rebel groups staging hostile activities against Myanmar's neighbors, in this case India, from its territory.

The Tatmadaw accused the NSCN-K of helping Assam and Manipur (known locally as ethnic Kathae/Meiti) rebels in their fight against India by sheltering and allowing them to run military training schools. The Tatmadaw accused the NSCN-K of violating the bilateral ceasefire agreement it signed on April 9, 2012 with the Sagaing regional government.

Last month, U Kyaw Wan Sein, NSCN-K spokesman and Central Executive Member, told The Irrawaddy the group did not violate the bilateral ceasefire and urged the Tatmadaw to leave its area.

Naga civil society members, including elders and members of the Council of Naga Affairs, sent a letter to the National Reconciliation and Peace Center seeking its intervention.

U Zaw Htay, spokesman for the Myanmar President's Office and the Myanmar State Counselor's Office, which oversee peace negotiations, said on Thursday he could not comment on the charging of the NSCN-K leaders over the phone. He said the government's response would be announced at a press briefing expected on Friday at the Presidential Palace.

The post Naga Group Leaders Charged with Unlawful Association appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Yangon Timeout

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 03:17 AM PDT

'Enchantress' Art Exhibition by Zwe Mon

 At Gallery 65 this weekend, see the first solo exhibition of Zwe Mon which will feature more than 30 of her works of art. Zwe Mon studied at the State School of Fine Art and her paintings use bright colors and often depict typical everyday scenes, important persons as well as some historical events, such as the Saffron Revolution.

March 29 to 31 | Gallery 65 | No. 65, Yaw Min Gyi Road, Dagon Township

Reaching Across the Divide: A Fundraising Concert

This musical event hosted by education non-profit Thabyay Education Foundation is now in its fourth year. In conjunction with Global Voices, 20 young Myanmar people of diverse cultures and backgrounds get the opportunity to use music and song to express the issues in social justice here today. As well as some favorites, they will perform four new songs which have been collectively composed. US Ambassador to Myanmar Scott Merciel will make special remarks. Thabyay Education Foundation is a very worthy cause working to empower, enable and inspire Myanmar's future leaders.

March 30 | 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. | YWCA Hall | 119 Bogolayzay Street, Botahtaung Township

Pre-Water Festival Pool Party

The new Wyndham Grand Yangon Hotel, with fine views over Kandawgyi Lake and Karaweik Palace, is the place to be this weekend if you just can't wait for Thingyan to arrive. At this pool party there will be a live DJ and canapes will be served with a free flow of sparkling wine, beer, wine and soft drinks included in the ticket. Tickets $25 nett.

March 30 | 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. | Wyndham Grand Yangon Hotel | Corner of Kan Yeik Thar Road & U Aung Myat Road, Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township

'A Fan and a Bowl' Art Exhibition by Aung Kyaw Htet

This is the solo art show of reputed painter Aung Kyaw Htet. Aung Kyaw Htet is well known on the international artist circuit yet an art show in Myanmar is rare for him. His imaginative work most often depicts Buddhist symbols like statues, alms bowls and pagodas and he is perhaps most famous for his lively paintings of novice monks and nuns going about their daily rituals. Exhibition opening is on March 30 at 5:30 p.m.

March 30 to April 3 | River Gallery | No. 33/35, 37th& 38th Streets, Kyauktada Township

Duwun Food Carnival

Foodies should head to People's Park this weekend for the third annual Duwun Food Carnival. As well as a huge variety of food stalls, you can enjoy food talks, a DFC Run, games, live music performances and other entertainment. Famous singers to perform include Athen Cho Swe, Key Lashi, Kaung Kaung and Kay Kay Moe and groups to perform will include Project K, Team 143 and Definite.

March 30 to 31 | 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. | Area 2 (Pyay Road Entrance) | People's Park, Dagon Township  

Earth Hour in Yangon

This is an international movement that has been happening worldwide since 2009. For one hour every year, the world's biggest landmarks – the Eiffel Tower, Sydney Opera House and more recently Yangon's Shwedagon Pagoda – switch off the lights and every individual and household is encouraged to join in this statement of commitment to preserving the Earth. In Yangon this year, a number of locations are joining in including Savoy Hotel and Catrium Hotel while Pullman Hotel will have an outdoor event with music, wine, opera signing and a fire show.  #Connect2Earth

March 30 | 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. | Worldwide

Makers Market

This is the fourth edition of the very popular afternoon/evening market event where you will find an exciting range of the finest locally made and handmade arts and crafts, clothing, food and food vendors and get the chance to meet the makers, designers and artists behind the products. Some interesting vendors include Moon Craft (bamboo goods), Mai Su (handwoven textiles) and Paloma Yaya (natural fabrics). For food and drinks you can head to The Satay Shack, Othentic, Shwe Sa Bwe, Union Bar & Grill popups. Note, this is a plastic-free event.

March 31 | 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. | Karaweik Gardens | Kandawgyi Nature Park, Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township

The Future of Myanmar Art Industry

Hosted by Asia Art Connect, this event will be a discussion in Burmese about the future of art in Myanmar. The talk will be moderated by artist Moe Kyaw Thant who will be joined by panelists curator and artist Aung Myat Htay and artist Khin Zaw Latt.

March 31 | 2 p.m. | Phandeeyar | 10th Floor, Royal Riverview Condo, 628/636 Merchant Road

Myanmar Color Festival

This is another colorful festival where attendees are given bags of colored powder to throw at their friends and others while they dance, party and play. The event aims to bring diverse members of the community together in a shared space for shared enjoyment. Regular tickets 8,000 kyats; special tickets 20,000 kyats.

March 31 | 3:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. | People's Park | Pyay Road, Dagon Township

Echelon Roadshow 2019

Join the best and brightest of Myanmar’s tech ecosystem at the Echelon Roadshow for an afternoon of sharing insights and making connections. The speaker, Matt De Luca, is the founder of JobNet.com and tell his own startup story and dispense advice and tips to help you out in your own entrepreneurial journey. Pre-registration recommended.

April 2 | 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. | Phandeeyar | 10th Floor, Royal Riverview Condo, 628/636 Merchant Road 

Book Launch: Annual Peace & Security Review 2018

The non-profit, non-governmental Myanmar Institute for Peace and Security will present a comprehensive overview of the conflict and peace process in Myanmar with data from its advanced monitoring system together with pointed insight and analysis. This event is the launch of their annual report.

April 2 | 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. | Melia Hotel | Kabar Aye Pagoda Road, Yankin Township

The post Yangon Timeout appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Military Claims of Arakan Rebels Disguising Selves as Civilians Met With Doubt

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 02:38 AM PDT

YANGON — Lawmakers and residents of northern Rakhine State expressed dismay at the military’s recent claim that fighters for the rebel Arakan Army (AA) were conducting operations out of uniform, calling it an excuse to target civilians.

"[AA troops] have started to wear black tracksuits,” Brig. Gen. Zaw Min Tun said at a press conference in Naypyitaw on Monday.

“All [AA fighters] that we see in the villages were dressed that way. [AA fighters] dressed that way shot [at soldiers]. [AA fighters] dressed that way planted mines. All those caught while planting mines on the road were dressed that way. And those caught near the villages were dressed in tracksuits," he added.

Of the 25 civilians from Mrauk-U, Kyauktaw, Buthidaung and Rathedaung townships The Irrawaddy interviewed about the claim by the military, or Tatmadaw, all rejected it.

"I watched the live broadcast of the Tatmadaw's press conference streamed by the news agencies. I was shocked to hear they said that those wearing tracksuits are with the AA. We feel like [the Tatmadaw] is targeting civilians," said U Khaing Kyaw Than, from Mrauk-U.

On the same day as the press conference, a boatman was shot dead near the village of Amyet Taung in Rathedaung. He was wearing a yellow tracksuit at the time.

U Maung Than Sein, a regional lawmaker representing Kyauktaw, said it was normal for rural residents in Rakhine who work on the water to wear tracksuits and that he too was shocked by the military’s claim.

"It is wrong to mix up civilians and the AA. And it is very clear that the boatman who was shot dead was an innocent civilian who made an honest living. So we feel sorry on behalf of the people," he said.

AA spokesman Khaing Thukha accused the military of making the claim to cover up its targeting of civilians.

"They are saying this in order to cover up their war crimes against civilians. We have never used civilians as shields. We love people more than the Bamar Army does and we don't do anything that harms the people," he said.

U Maung Than Sein said civilians were bearing the brunt of the fighting between the military and AA, which has displaced some 10,000 people in northern Rakhine and southern Chin State since late November.

When five civilians were found dead inside a rudimentary bomb shelter in Buthidaung’s Si Taung Village on March 21, the military said they died from artillery fire. But U Maung Than Sein did not believe it.

"It is impossible that all five people in the hole died [that way]. We are not children. It is easy to figure out who killed them,” he said. “There was no security in the past, there is no security at present, and it is actually worse."

At Monday’s press conference, Brig. Gen. Zaw Min Tun denied that the military targeted civilians in Si Taung and said there had been a fight with the AA near the village.

Lower House lawmaker U Aung Thaung Shwe, who visited Si Taung, said soldiers had not engaged the AA near the village and accused the military of shooting at civilians deliberately.

On the night of March 18 in Mrauk-U, seven civilians were injured by bullets and artillery and a residential home hit by a mortar shell caught fire and burned down. Shelling in recent days had also damaged some historic Buddhist temples in the area, once the capital of the Arakan Kingdom.

Residents of Mrauk-U said they saw soldiers shooting at houses while driving through town on trucks. Col. Win Zaw Oo, spokesman for the military’s Western Command, said the soldiers had been attacked by AA fighters and were returning fire. The AA denied the claim.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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The Day a Portuguese Mercenary and Plunderer Was Put to Death

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 10:30 PM PDT

Four hundred and six years ago today, one of the most notorious Portuguese ever to set foot in what is now Myanmar was executed.

Filipe de Brito e Nicote, better known as Nga Zinga, became infamous for stealing valuables from the shrines of Buddhist temples, as well as making cannons out of melted-down bronze Buddha images and bells pilfered from religious sites. He built forts on Kyaik Khak Pagoda and even snatched other men's wives.

He served as a mercenary under Min Razagyi, King of Arakan, and rose through the ranks to become governor of Thanlyin (Syriam) in 1599. He encouraged more Portuguese to settle in Syriam and later rose up against the Arakanese King.

In 1613, de Brito's Syriam was besieged by the Burmese forces of King Anaukpetlun. After a two-month-long battle, Syriam was defeated and Nga Zinga captured. He was executed on March 28, aged about 50. Hundreds of Portuguese prisoners of war were taken back to Ava.

The post The Day a Portuguese Mercenary and Plunderer Was Put to Death appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

U.S. Studying India Anti-Satellite Weapons Test, Warns of Space Debris

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 09:33 PM PDT

MIAMI — Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan warned any nations contemplating anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons tests like the one India carried out on Wednesday that they risk making a “mess” in space because of debris fields they can leave behind.

Speaking to reporters in Florida during a visit to the U.S. military’s Southern Command, Shanahan said the United States was still studying the outcome of a missile India said it launched at one of its own satellites.

“My message would be: We all live in space, let's not make it a mess. Space should be a place where we can conduct business. Space is a place where people should have the freedom to operate,” Shanahan said.

Experts say that anti-satellite weapons that shatter their targets pose a space hazard by creating a cloud of fragments that can collide with other objects, potentially setting off a chain reaction of projectiles through Earth orbit.

India’s Foreign Ministry played down any risk of debris from its missile test on Wednesday, saying the impact occurred in low-Earth orbit and that the remnants would “decay and fall back on to the Earth within weeks.”

The U.S. military’s Strategic Command was tracking more than 250 pieces of debris from India’s missile test and would issue “close-approach notifications as required until the debris enters the Earth’s atmosphere,” Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Dave Eastburn said.

The New Delhi government and Washington, which have generally close relations, have been in talks regarding the event, and India publicly issued an aircraft safety advisory before the launch, Eastburn added.

Lieutenant General David Thompson, vice commander of U.S. Air Force Space Command, added the International Space Station was not at risk at this point.

NASA chief Jim Bridenstine said in testimony before the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday that the consequences of anti-satellite weapons tests could be long-lasting.

“If we wreck space, we’re not getting it back,” he said, without mentioning India by name.

India would be only the fourth country to have used such an anti-satellite weapon after the United States, Russia and China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.

The United States ran the first anti-satellite test in 1959, when satellites themselves were rare and new.

Shanahan noted that given the increasing global reliance on space, it was important to create rules of the road for space.

“I think not having rules of engagement is worrisome. So, how people test and develop technologies is important,” he said, adding: “I would expect anyone who tests does not put at risk anyone else’s assets.”

The post U.S. Studying India Anti-Satellite Weapons Test, Warns of Space Debris appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

China Says Probing More People After Former Interpol Chief’s Fall

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 09:19 PM PDT

BEIJING—China’s Public Security Ministry said it would conduct further investigations into its own senior ranks late on Wednesday after a decision to prosecute former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei, and warned that disloyalty to the Communist Party would not be tolerated.

China had announced earlier on Wednesday that an investigation had found Meng spent “lavish” amounts of state funds, abused his power and refused to follow party decisions, and that he had been expelled from the party and sacked as deputy public security minister.

Last October, Interpol, the global police coordination agency based in France, said Meng had resigned as its president, days after his wife reported him missing after he travelled back to China.

In statement late on Wednesday following an internal meeting, the public security ministry said Meng was “totally to blame” for the decision to expel him from the party and sack him.

“When it comes to party loyalty and sincerity, it is absolutely not allowed to be duplicitous, to agree overtly but oppose in secret, or to be a two-face person, or lead a double life, or engage in political social climbing,” it said.

“It is absolutely not allowed to make decisions without authorization, to do or say as you wish.”

While the statement gave no details, the party’s ongoing anti-corruption campaign, championed by President Xi Jinping, has increasingly been focused on those it judges are disloyal to the party or question the decision of the top leadership.

China has persistently denied its war on graft is about political maneuvering or Xi taking down his enemies. Xi told an audience in Seattle in 2015 that the anti-graft fight was no “House of Cards”-style power play, in a reference to the Netflix U.S. political drama.

The ministry said there needed to be a “thorough rooting out of Meng Hongwei’s pernicious influence,” and that there would be further probes on others.

“For those in leadership positions in the Public Security Ministry connected with Meng Hongwei’s case, no matter how high or low, no matter who is involved, no matter their position, all must be seriously handled in accordance with the law and discipline.”

The government announced its plans to prosecute Meng after Xi returned from a state visit to France, where Emmanuel Macron raised the issue of human rights in China and certain specific cases, a French presidency official said.

It has not been possible to reach Meng for comment since he was detained, and unclear if he has been allowed a lawyer.

Meng’s wife, Grace Meng, told French television on Sunday that she had written to Macron ahead of Xi’s trip seeking his help protecting their “fundamental human rights”.

Meng is certain to be found guilty when his case eventually comes to trial as the courts are controlled by the party and will not challenge its accusations.

Meng became president of the global police cooperation agency in late 2016 as China widened its bid to secure leadership posts in international organizations.

His appointment prompted concern at the time from rights groups that Beijing might try to leverage his position to pursue dissidents abroad.

The post China Says Probing More People After Former Interpol Chief’s Fall appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Thailand’s Opposition Parties Form Alliance, Demand Junta Step Aside

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 09:16 PM PDT

BANGKOK — Thailand’s opposition “democratic front” of seven parties on Wednesday said it had won a majority in the lower house of parliament after a messy election, and had the right to try to form a government after five years of military rule.

But the opposition alliance would still be unable to elect a prime minister, as parliamentary rules, written by the ruling military junta, require backing from a majority of upper and lower houses combined.

Parliament’s upper house, entirely appointed by the junta, is expected to endorse the pro-military party.

With unofficial results of Sunday’s vote still delayed, the ruling junta showed no sign giving up on its goal to keep former army chief and coup leader Prayuth Chan-ocha as prime minister.

The post-election standoff could raise tensions just as the Southeast Asian country prepares for the elaborate coronation of its new king in May.

Sudarat Keyuraphan, the main prime ministerial candidate of the Pheu Thai party ousted by the 2014 army coup, said the seven parties in the opposition alliance would take at least 255 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives.

“We declare that the democratic front which opposes military rule commands the majority in the House,” Sudarat told reporters.

The largest alliance in the lower house should be given the right to try to form a government, she added.

“Parties in the democratic front gained the most trust from the people,” Sudarat said, adding that the alliance would start courting more parties on Wednesday.

Pheu Thai’s secretary-general, Phumtham Wechayachai, told reporters the democratic front now included the Future Forward, Pheu Chart, Prachachart, Seri Ruam Thai, Thai People Power and New Economy parties.

Missing was the Bhumjaithai Party, another key vote getter that has not yet aligned with either side.

Responding to speculation that Pheu Thai would offer the top post to Bhumjaithai’s leader, Anutin Charnvirakul, to win him over, Phumtham said, “We haven’t made him that offer.”

He added, “Premiership is something we will discuss later… It’s not a pre-condition for us.”

A fuller picture of the lower house make-up could emerge on Friday, when the Election Commission releases vote tallies for each constituency, used to determine the allocation of the other 150 party seats under a complex formula.

After the news conference, the alliance’s party leaders petitioned the Election Commission to immediately release complete tallies, demanding transparency.

Ittiporn Boonprakong, the commission’s chairman, said the votes were all counted in the open and announced at polling stations the night of the election.

“Still time yet”

The pro-military Palang Pracharat party has also claimed the right to form the next government, based on its early lead in the popular vote, saying the count could still give it a majority.

Its leader, Uttama Savanayana said Palang Pracharat was taking its time as there are six weeks until official results are published on May 9.

“We’ve started talking to other parties, but there’s still time yet,” Uttama told reporters. “We’ll try to get as many seats as possible. We’re confident we can form a government.”

Party secretary-general Sontirat Sontijirawong dismissed the claim by the democratic front.

“Stop claiming to be on the side of democracy,” Sontirat said. “This election was democratic. Are the 7.9 million who voted for Palang Pracharat not democratic?”

The partial count suggests Palang Pracharat could win enough elected lower house seats, combined with votes from the junta-appointed Senate, for Prayuth to stay on as prime minister.

However, Prayuth could face parliamentary deadlock if the opposition controls the lower house, and would be vulnerable to a confidence vote.

The post Thailand’s Opposition Parties Form Alliance, Demand Junta Step Aside appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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