Monday, January 14, 2019

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Chinese Envoy Urges Northern Alliance Leaders to Talk Peace

Posted: 14 Jan 2019 07:29 AM PST

Chinese Special Envoy for Asian Affairs Sun Guoxiang visited the Kachin Independence Organization's headquarters in Laiza last week, where he met with leaders of the Northern Alliance.

Hundreds of ethnic Kachin, including soldiers from the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), waved Chinese and KIA flags on the streets of Laiza on Jan. 11 to welcome Sun's delegation.

"He met our KIO committee. At the meeting, he stressed that China seeks border stability," said Colonel Naw Bu, a spokesperson for the KIO/KIA.

Sun urged the KIO to show tolerance and remain open to peace talks. He urged the group to seek possible routes to open peace talks with the Myanmar government.

"He told the KIO that instead of fighting, it is best to sit down at the peace negotiating table," Col. Naw Bu said.

Sun's visit coincided with the Chinese New Year, and he told the KIO that this was another reason for his friendly visit to Laiza.

KIO chairman General N'Ban Hla led the committee meeting with Sun, according to Col. Naw Bu.

The Myitsone Dam was not discussed at the meeting, Col. Naw Bu said.

Sun met individually with leaders of the Northern Alliance member groups, including the Arakan Army (AA). He discussed ways of ending the fighting in Rakhine with AA leaders.

AA spokesperson Khine Thukha confirmed to The Irrawaddy that leaders of the group met Sun in Laiza to discuss the current situation between the AA and the Myanmar military.

"We had a discussion on how to end the current fighting in Rakhine. They also asked about the attacks on Jan. 4 and how the AA could join the peace process," he said.

The spokesperson said the AA delegation replied that the AA had been forced to defend itself, as the government had used excessive force.

The AA attacked four Border Guard Police outposts in Rakhine's Buthidaung Township on Jan. 4, killing 13 police.

Khine Thukha told the BBC he did not see many prospects for an end to the fighting, as the AA was determined to continue fighting for the community's ethnic rights.

The Northern Alliance comprises four ethnic armed organizations that have yet to sign the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement and are engaged in ongoing clashes with the Myanmar military (or Tatmadaw): the KIA, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army, the AA and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army.

The post Chinese Envoy Urges Northern Alliance Leaders to Talk Peace appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

NLD Lawmaker Stands by His ‘Windbag’ Jibe at Yangon Mayor

Posted: 14 Jan 2019 04:21 AM PST

YANGON—Lower House lawmaker U Bo Bo Oo of Yangon's Sanchaung Township on Jan. 9 called Yangon Mayor U Maung Maung Soe a "windbag" in a social media post complaining about public sanitation services in his constituency. His post caused a storm on social media. The Irrawaddy's Thazin Hlaing interviewed the lawmaker about his criticism of Yangon municipality.

Why did you call the Yangon mayor a "windbag" on social media?

I called him that because I don't think he's carrying out his duties.

What do you mean by his duties?  

As he is the mayor, anything related to the development of the city is his duty. He has ultimate responsibility. He must be able to manage [the city] properly. But I've found that he has neglected that duty.

Can you give some examples of things he failed to do in your township?

For example, the sewerage system was not functioning properly, and [human waste] was spilling into the drains. [The municipality] didn't handle it, though I filed a complaint. It has also failed to handle the problem of stray dogs. In a letter, I asked [the regional government] to handle those problems, and it sent me a telling me how it would do so. But it hasn't been able to handle the problems on the ground. So, local residents face the problem of stray dogs daily.

Furthermore, the sidewalks [in Sanchaung] are occupied by vendors, forcing people to walk in the street. It's unsafe.

As the 2018 YCDC [Yangon City Development Committee] Law has come into effect, I want [the municipality] to apply it. But I see no [implementation] on the ground. Far from implementing it, the situation gets worse. If the new YCDC Law does not take effect, that's a threat to the rule of law. That wouldn't be good for the country or the people.

Why did the municipality fail to respond to your complaints?

There is a problem with management. There is a mechanism in place for different levels of management to handle these issues. [The mayor] must be able to handle it effectively. He doesn't need to go around town looking into ditches. I'd be happy if he just did his job.

You are a lawmaker of the National League for Democracy (NLD). U Maung Maung Soe was also appointed by the NLD. Some say you should have spoken with him privately, rather than posting about him on social media. What do you say to that?

The media—regardless of which type—are meant to serve as bridges between the people and the authorities. This must be accepted.

There have been strong responses to your criticism of the mayor from both from the public and within the party.

This is normal. The NLD is fully democratic, internally. It is normal for party members to argue with each other at party meetings. This is the essence of democracy. The NLD has the strongest democratic values in Myanmar. Every executive of the NLD is elected. We are the only party that exercises democracy in Myanmar. So, [such criticism] is normal to me, as we implement democracy on the ground.

NLD Lawmaker U Bo Bo Oo / U Bo Bo Oo / Facebook

Has the party leadership or the government spoken to you about your criticism?

Our party allows internal criticism. There are frank discussions and criticism within the party. These are the [party's] values. I read in a news report that [NLD spokesperson] Monywa U Aung Shin speculated that I would be punished by the party. His speculation undermines the party's image. His speculation amounts to underestimating the party. The party places a very high value on democracy. The fact that he doesn't know this means he has lost touch with the party.

You compared the mayors of Mandalay and Yangon. What differences have you noticed as a lawmaker?

Though I am a lawmaker, let me speak colloquially: They are as different as fragrance and feces.

What kind of mayor do you want for Yangon?

A mayor who works like the Mandalay mayor.

What needs to be done to get such mayor? I mean, will it be done by the people or by the government?

For the people's part, there will be municipal elections on March 31. Six people will be elected to the YCDC, and one will be the vice mayor. It seems that we will have to place our hopes in him or her. It would be good if the current mayor changed his mind and worked [for the city].

What is your response to those who say the mayor has no authority?

That is shifting the blame. He shifts blame to his superiors to cover up his inactivity. I don't believe he has no authority.

People had high hopes when the new municipal law was enacted, as it carries jail sentences for violators. How is it being implemented on the ground?

People have a good opinion of the law. They anticipate its enforcement. So, I want to urge the YCDC to implement it boldly. Then, people will follow.

What is the main obstacle to implementing it?

The mayor's failure to do his job.

The post NLD Lawmaker Stands by His 'Windbag' Jibe at Yangon Mayor appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

KNU Likely to Rejoin Formal Peace Talks

Posted: 14 Jan 2019 04:08 AM PST

CHIANG MAI, Thailand—Myanmar government peace negotiators have said their latest round of informal talks with Karen National Union (KNU) leaders saw progression towards resuming formal peace negotiations which have been stalled since early November.

"Both sides (the government and the KNU) are trying to get back on track as soon as possible and the informal negotiations channel is for [informal to formal meetings] only," said U Zaw Htay, spokesperson and director general of the State Counselor's Office, which is overseeing the peace process.

Padoh Saw Tadoh Moo, secretary of the KNU, pledged that they would move forward with the current peace process.

No further details on the negotiations were disclosed by either side.

Padoh Saw Tadoh Moo led the KNU delegation in the informal talks with the government, accompanied by the KNU's military and security affairs advisor Col. Saw Htoo Htoo Lay, head of foreign affairs Padoh Saw Taw Nee and others.

U Zaw Htay accompanied the secretary of the Peace Commission U Khin Zaw Oo, commission member U Aung Soe and advisor U Hla Maung Shwe on separate meetings with a number of ethnic armed organizations. Following the KNU meeting on Sunday, they met the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) and the Kachin Independent Army (KIA) in Chiang Mai, Thailand on Monday.

The informal talks follow a series of similar talks in November and December with the same delegation in Chiang Mai.

The KNU leads the Peace Process Steering Team, a group made up of the 10 Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) signatories, but due to some internal issues it did not attend discussions with its allies for a number of months.

KNU negotiation leadership has also shifted within vice chairman Padoh Saw Kwe Htoo Win being replaced with secretary Padoh Saw Tadoh Moo last year.

Speculations have arisen surrounding the KNU's possible exit from the steering team, with rumors that they would approach peace talks independently, but these claims have been denied by Padoh Saw Tadoh Moo. On Sunday he told reporters, "it is not true and we will continue our collaboration with other [ethnic armed organizations]."

Peace negotiations with both signatories and non-signatories of the NCA have been on and off under the current National League for Democracy government.

Though State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi leads the National Reconciliation and Peace Centre (NRPC), it is former military leaders U Thein Zaw, the center's vice chair, and Peace Commission Secretary U Khin Zaw Oo who lead the face-to-face negotiations with various ethnic armed organizations.

The current chief negotiators believe that sessions of the Panglong Peace Conferences—which are to be held biannually—should be conducted only when all NCA signatories take part, emphasizing the importance of KNU being involved in the process.

The Peace Commission has also been holding talks with NCA non-signatories and this month they are to meet ethnic armed organizations based in northern Shan State and Kachin State, according to U Zaw Htay.

The post KNU Likely to Rejoin Formal Peace Talks appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

The Best Bars for Live Music in Yangon

Posted: 14 Jan 2019 03:10 AM PST

YANGON — After a busy day, or a long week, most people just want a nice place to chill and relax with their friends. There are plenty of pubs, bars, clubs and karaoke parlors across Yangon. But some people prefer live music. So here’s a list of some great live music venues to try.

7th Joint Bar & Grill

7th Joint Bar and Grill is the only reggae bar in town and is popular with teens and adults alike. The bar is always packed with both foreigners and locals, especially on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and weekends. It has an open mic on Tuesdays, Burmese music on Wednesdays and international music on Fridays with local bands. On Sundays the bar hosts unplugged music nights.

The bar is located on the ground floor of the Urban Asia Center, at the corner of 47th Street and Maha Bandula Road. It's open from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.

The Reasonabilists perform at the 7th Joint Bar & Grill. / Htet Wai / The Irrawaddy

Atlas Rooftop Bar & Lounge

Named the “Best Nightlife Experience” in Yangon by Myanmore in 2017, this rooftop bar will give you the best views of the night and has a live band every Wednesday and on weekends. This Saturday, the international artists of SamRaz will play Latin and jazz tunes.

It's located at No. 84 Pan Hlaing Rd. in Sanchaung Township. Hours are from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.

SamRaz performs at the Atlas Rooftop Bar on Jan. 5. / Atlas Rooftop Bar / Facebook

Hard Rock Café Yangon

The popular Hard Rock Café chain has come to Yangon and you can enjoy authentic American dining with live music. It has its own bands from abroad playing Tuesday to Sunday.

Hard Rock Café Yangon is located on the fourth floor of Myanmar Plaza and is open from 5 p.m. until late.

50th Street Restaurant & Bar

50th Street Restaurant & Bar is already popular with expats and locals because of its good food, cool vibes and music nights. It hosts both live music nights and DJ events. The bar has acoustic sessions every Friday and announces special events on its Facebook page.

50th Street Restaurant & Bar is located on the lower block of 50th street and easy to find. It’s open from 10:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.

Terminal5 Bar & Grill

Terminal5 is a small bar but has two branches, one at the corner of Sanchaung Street and Padonma Street and another on 19th Street. The drinks are cheap but good and the bar has live music on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Most of the bands play Burmese songs. It is a nice spot to chill and stays open from 4 p.m. until late.

The Four performs at Harry’s Bar, Myanmar Plaza. / The Four

Harry's Bar Yangon

The Yangon branches of this Singapore brand offer the best of Singapore's dinning experience and Harry's Premium Larger beer. The first Harry's Bar in Myanmar opened on the ground floor of Myanmar Plaza, the second at Junction Square. The bars are popular, with unplugged nights at the Myanmar Plaza branch every Tuesday.

After a long day at work, a drink with good music is the perfect way to unwind for the music lover. We hope you all have a great time.

The post The Best Bars for Live Music in Yangon appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Kachin Leaders Condemn Chinese Embassy Dam Comments

Posted: 14 Jan 2019 02:58 AM PST

YANGON—Prominent political parties in Kachin State announced on Monday that a statement released by the Chinese embassy in Yangon, which described the Kachin people's support for a controversial hydropower project in the state, was "inaccurate and misleading" and that the Kachin want to "permanently" halt the project.

In response to The Irrawaddy's story published about recent meetings between Kachin leaders and the Chinese ambassador to Myanmar, the Chinese embassy on Sunday released a statement saying that Kachin people were not against the resumption of the dam project which has been suspended for seven years.

The embassy said the Ambassador Hong Liang visited Kachin State at the end of December to meet the leaders of local political parties and social organizations.

"The local people of Kachin State do not oppose the Myitsone hydropower project: it is some individuals and social organizations from outside that oppose the project," said the statement.

Locally known as the Myitsone Dam, the $3.6 billion project slated to be developed at the confluence of two rivers which form the start of the Irrawaddy River, known as Myanmar's lifeline, was suspended by then-president U Thein Sein in 2011 amid widespread public outcry over the dam's serious social and environmental impacts. Environmentalists warned that it could potentially flood an area the size of Singapore, destroying livelihoods and displacing more than 10,000 people.

The three prominent Kachin party leaders who met with Ambassador Hong Liang said the embassy statement was inaccurate and misleading.

The Chinese ambassador visited Kachin State on Dec. 28 and 29, 2018 and met with Gumgrawng Awng Hkam, president of the Kachin Democratic Party (KDP), Manam Tu Ja, president of the Kachin State Democracy Party (KSDP), U Hkyet Thing Nan, president of the Unity and Democracy Party of Kachin State (UDP-KS) as well as Rev. Hkalam Samson, president of the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC).

The three political parties are the most popular among Kachin people and they recently merged as a single party called the Kachin State People's Party and will contend for the 2020 elections. KBC is the largest and most influential religious organization in the state and has a reputation for providing assistance to war refugees, working in drug eradication and educational support for locals.

The Chinese ambassador also separately met U Si Phar Lar Lu, chairman of the Lisu National Development Party which won two seats in the Lower House of Parliament in 2015's general election and U Sai San Wae, chairman of the Shan Ethnic Affairs Society which represents Shan communities living in Kachin State.

The Irrawaddy contacted the political and religious leaders for their responses to the Chinese embassy statement.

 

A photo used in the by-election campaign of Gumgrawng Awng Hkam, president of Kachin Democratic Party in November 2018. / Kachin Democratic Party / Facebook /

 

Gumgrawng Awng Hkam, President, Kachin Democratic Party

"We have been opposed the Myitsone Dam project since the outset of the project. Our people don't agree with project and our party is also against it."

"We oppose the project now and forever. However, China refuses to give up and keeps trying [to move forward with the project]. They are giving the reasons that Chinese investors are hesitant to make new investments [in Myanmar] due to the failure of the Myitsone Dam.

"We did not say in the meeting with the Chinese ambassador that we agree to restart the Myitsone Dam. They wrote the statement as they want. We don't agree with it.

"I would like to again say clearly to the Chinese ambassador and China that our party and I totally disagree with the Myitsone project."

 

Manam Tu Ja, president of Kachin State Democracy Party, at his party office in Myitkyina, Kachin state in 2017. / The Irrawaddy /

 

Manam Tu Ja, President, Kachin State Democracy Party

"We three Kachin parties met with the Chinese ambassador together. It took more than one hour. I did not say what they mentioned in the statement. I definitely did not say it. Our people have not changed their minds. They don't agree with the construction of the Myitsone project in Kachin State.

"Our stance on the Myitsone project has not changed. We also discussed the peace process and other IDP issues. The [Chinese embassy] should have issued a clearer statement. It made the Kachin people confused. It is misleading, they should not say that."

 

Rev. Hkalam Samson, president of the Kachin Baptist Convention, at his office in Myitkyina, Kachin State in 2017. / The Irrawaddy /

 

Rev. Hkalam Samson, President, Kachin Baptist Convention

"I expressed my concern for the people who are living downstream of the dam project if the Myitsone Dam were to collapse. I also told them we don't want to destroy the beauty of Myitsone which is also the [starting point] of Myanmar's lifeline river, the Irrawaddy.

"I told them that I could not make any decision on my own on whether to restart the Myitsone Dam. I have to discuss it with all the leaders in our organization. In my opinion, it would be better to have a public consultation about the dam instead of only our leadership's comments on the issue.

"I was also misquoted in the statement which said I told them about the differences between China and other countries and about strengthening cooperation with China. I only said that western countries' first priority is human rights while China is focused on development issues. We have a lot of Kachin people in Yunnan, China so our religious leaders want to propagate the Kachin people in Yunnan.

"I told them we could have closer friendships between the KBC and Kachin people in Yunnan. I did not mean that we should have more cooperation with their country [China]. I actually meant that I would like to have more cooperation with Kachin people in China."

The post Kachin Leaders Condemn Chinese Embassy Dam Comments appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Rakhine Politician Loses Appeal to Drop Defamation, High Treason Charges

Posted: 14 Jan 2019 12:02 AM PST

SITTWE—The Rakhine State High Court has rejected the appeal to withdraw charges against a prominent Arakanese politician and an author who have been detained since their arrest in January last year over their remarks at an event commemorating the 233rd anniversary of the fall of the Arakan Kingdom to the Burmese in 1785 held in Rathedaung Township, northern Rakhine.

At the event, politician U Aye Maung and author Wai Hin Aung reportedly expressed support for the Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic armed group recently denounced as an insurgent group by the Myanmar government after it launched attacks on four border police outposts in Buthidaung Township, northern Rakhine on Jan. 4.

The two men were facing charges for high treason, defamation of the State and unlawful association.

In September 2018, Sittwe District Court dismissed the unlawful association charges.

They then lodged an appeal to the Rakhine State High Court to withdraw the charges. The court however denied the appeal, said defense lawyer U Kyaw Nyunt Maung.

"That our appeal was dismissed means the verdict of the Sittwe District Court is affirmed," said defense lawyer for Wai Hin Aung told reporters.

The two will face their trial at the Sittwe District Court. It is not yet clear if they will appeal to the Supreme Court of the Union.

If found guilty, the two face death sentences or life imprisonment for high treason, while the defamation of the State charge carries a maximum two years in prison and/or a fine.

The post Rakhine Politician Loses Appeal to Drop Defamation, High Treason Charges appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

19 Diplomatic Missions Considering Move to Capital: Govt

Posted: 13 Jan 2019 10:12 PM PST

NAYPYITAW — Nineteen countries have proposed opening embassies in the diplomatic zone of Myanmar’s capital, Naypyitaw, and three have already acquired land there, said U Min Thu, a member of the Naypyitaw Development Committee.

Bangladesh and Malaysia have bought land in the diplomatic zone while Brunei has exchanged its embassy compound in Yangon for property in the capital, U Min Thu told reporters in Naypyitaw on Saturday.

"They have paid money and signed agreements. And Qatar is in the final stage of signing the agreement," he said.

"South Korea and Australia have also come and seen the land in the diplomatic zone and made inquiries," he added.

The Naypyitaw municipality has set the price of land at $500,000 per acre. Each plot measures over five acres, and diplomatic missions are allowed to purchase two plots each.

Major powers such as the United States, China and India have proposed purchasing more than two plots, said U Min Thu.

Naypyitaw could benefit from the relocation of the diplomat community, said Daw Pyone Cathy Naing, a member of the Lower House’s International Relations Committee.

"Their relocation will attract investment in healthcare and education [for the diplomats’ children] and related infrastructure development, so it is good," she said.

The diplomatic zone is located in Dekkhinathiri Township and covers a total 1,500 acres, including 120 plots for foreign missions. Roads, electricity and water have been provided to facilitate their relocation.

The Naypyitaw municipality is also preparing to build hospitals and colleges that meet international standards, said U Min Thu.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Too Scared to Return Home, Myanmar Refugees in Thai Camps Face an Uncertain Future

Posted: 13 Jan 2019 08:24 PM PST

MAE LA, Thailand—When her first child—a daughter—was born, Pa Pa Win dreamed of a grand wedding for her many years down the line, with a big celebration in their village in Myanmar’s Mon State.

Instead, when the time came 20 years later, Pa Pa Win and her family settled for a modest gathering in the Mae La refugee camp in northern Thailand.

They are among about 31,000 refugees in Mae La, the largest of nine camps on the Thai-Myanmar border. She and her family have been there for 13 years.

“We came here because we were not safe in Myanmar. We thought we could go back after a while, or that we could make a life here in Thailand,” said Pa Pa Win, who is Muslim.

“But it is not safe for us to go back, and we do not know what is to become of us here.”

There are 97,439 refugees from Myanmar in the camps—half of them children—according to the UN refugee agency UNHCR.

Most are ethnic minorities who fled fighting between the military and ethnic armed groups. Some have lived in the camps for more than 30 years—one of the world’s most protracted refugee situations.

Thailand is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol, which spell out the minimum standards and legal obligations towards refugees.

However, it has pledged to develop a screening system for refugees to curb trafficking, and to provide access to education, healthcare and birth registration.

But refugees live in limbo as they are not legally allowed to work or to leave the camp except for specified reasons.

“The older refugees still want to go back to Myanmar, because they left behind a home or land and they are still attached to it,” said Oranutt Narapruet of the International Rescue Committee, a non-profit that provides services in the camps.

“Many younger ones know they have nothing to go back to. Some have only known the camp, and would rather be in a city in Thailand (where) they are able to get a job and a home.”

Dangerous and degrading

Worldwide, a record 68 million people have been forced to leave their homes, according to UNHCR.

Refugees in Thailand have three options: repatriation to their country of origin, local integration or resettlement in a third country.

Since 2005, more than 90,000 have been resettled in the United States, Australia and Canada and other countries, according to UNHCR. But resettlement programs for refugees from Myanmar ended in 2016.

Thousands returned to Myanmar after a democratically elected government took charge, and hundreds more have signed up for facilitated voluntary return with UNHCR.

But fighting continues in several ethnic regions despite a nationwide ceasefire agreement in 2015.

“We had an ancestral home in our village, but we hear in the news what is happening to Muslims in Myanmar,” Pa Pa Win said.

“How can we go back?”

The second route—taking Thai citizenship—is long and arduous even though changes in the laws in 2016 opened a path for some 80,000 stateless persons, mainly from Myanmar.

Members of a soccer team who were rescued last July from a flooded cave in northern Thailand were granted citizenship in weeks under these provisions.

In the recent case of a young Saudi woman who fled to Thailand saying she feared her family would kill her, UNHCR processed her application for refugee status within days ahead of her resettlement in Canada.

Meanwhile in the camps, services by charities have reduced since peace talks began in Myanmar, campaigners said.

Thousands of refugees have left the camps to live elsewhere in Thailand, despite the risk of arrest.

As they are not legally permitted to work, refugees often engage in work that is “unauthorized and characterized as dangerous and degrading,” according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).

And most refugee children are unable to attend school in Thailand due to restrictions on movement, as well as language barriers and discriminatory treatment, HRW said.

“Many of the refugees don’t even want citizenship; they just want to get an education, work legally, and have freedom of movement,” Oranutt told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

“If Thai authorities decide to close the camps tomorrow, and they are all loaded on trucks and dropped off on the other side of the border, what will they do? They should have a plan, and they should have some skills.”

Suicide rate

Mae La, a sprawling expanse of thatched bamboo huts ringed with barbed wire and set among hills, was established in 1984.

It is considered better off than the other camps—all called “temporary shelters”—as it has electricity and mobile and internet services, as well as schools until grade 12.

There are also shops, clinics, community centers, playgrounds and places of worship.

In Mae La’s Zone C, there is a bustling market of shops selling household articles, food and snacks; there are also tailors and hair salons. Motorbikes, which refugees are not officially allowed to own, are parked everywhere.

But the makeshift homes are crowded together next to open drains. Depression is common, as are alcohol and substance abuse.

The suicide rate in Mae La is three times the global average, according to a 2017 report by the International Organization for Migration.

Since Myanmar transitioned to a civilian government, the Thai authorities have said they want to close all the camps.

Developments in Myanmar offer “real opportunities for safe and dignified voluntary return,” a UNHCR spokeswoman said.

If some individuals were unable to return, then UNHCR and the Thai authorities would handle them on a case-by-case basis, she said.

But campaigners say conditions are not yet conducive.

“If the camps are closed now, it would leave refugees vulnerable to traffickers and other dangers,” said Kyaw Win, director of the Burma Human Rights Network.

“Instead, Thai authorities should open up employment opportunities for them to settle in Thailand and contribute to the country’s economy,” he said.

That is what Pa Pa Win wants for her family.

“We would like our children to finish their education, be able to leave this camp, get a job, live like others do,” she said.

“But we do not know what our future is.”

The post Too Scared to Return Home, Myanmar Refugees in Thai Camps Face an Uncertain Future appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Poland Could Limit Use of Huawei Products After Worker Arrested

Posted: 13 Jan 2019 08:14 PM PST

WARSAW — Poland could consider banning the use of Huawei products by public bodies, a senior government official said on Sunday, following the arrest of a Chinese Huawei official in the east European country last week.

The Polish government could also look to tighten legislation to allow the authorities to limit the availability of products made by any company deemed to pose a threat to security.

Poland arrested a Chinese employee of Huawei and a former Polish security official on spying allegations, officials and sources told Reuters on Friday, a move that could fuel Western security concerns about the telecoms equipment maker.

A government official who is responsible for cyber security told Reuters “abrupt” policy changes towards Huawei were not warranted after the arrests.

But he said the use of the company’s products by state entities could be reviewed.

“We will analyze whether … our decision can include an end to the use … of Huawei products,” Karol Okonski told Reuters.

“We do not have the legal means to force private companies or citizens to stop using any IT company’s products. It cannot be ruled out that we will consider legislative changes that would allow such a move,” he added.

A spokesman for Poland’s security services said on Friday the Polish official arrested by the country’s Internal Security Agency had been responsible for issuing security certificates for equipment used by public administration.

“[He] used to work for a number of public institutions, held important managerial positions and was also connected with … institutions that protect internal security,” he told public broadcaster TVP.

Seeking to distance itself from the incident, Huawei said on Saturday it had sacked its employee, adding his “alleged actions have no relation to the company.”

Huawei, the world’s biggest producer of telecommunications equipment, faces intense scrutiny in the West over its relationship with China’s government and U.S.-led allegations that its devices could be used by Beijing for spying.

No evidence has been produced publicly and the firm has repeatedly denied the accusations, but several Western countries have restricted Huawei’s access to their markets.

Poland’s internal affairs minister, Joachim Brudzinski, called for the European Union and NATO to work on a joint position over whether to exclude Huawei from their markets.

“We are examining the readiness of the [EU and NATO] countries to work on a joint position,” Okonski told Reuters, referring to the new generation of 5G telecoms infrastructure.

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From Tibet to the ‘Nine Dragons,’ Vietnam’s Mekong Delta is Losing Sand

Posted: 13 Jan 2019 08:10 PM PST

MO CAY, Vietnam — In the dead of night, the entire front half of shopkeeper Ta Thi Kim Anh’s house collapsed. Perched on the sandy banks of the Mekong River, it took just a few minutes for one half of everything she owned to plunge into its murky depths.

“Our kitchen, our laundry room, our two bedrooms, all gone,” said Kim Anh, speaking amongst the twisted metal and rubble of her house, from which she still sells eggs, soap and instant noodles to villagers in Ben Tre, a province in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region.

“We’d be better off living in a cave instead,” said Kim Anh, who has used coconut husks and old tires to reinforce the riverbank under her home.

Upstream damming and extensive mining of the Mekong’s riverbed for sand is causing the land between the sprawling network of rivers and channels near the mouth of one of the world’s great rivers to sink at a pace of around 2 cm a year, experts and officials said.

The 4,350-km river, known as the Lancang in its upper reaches, flows from China’s Tibetan Plateau along the borders of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand, through Cambodia and finally Vietnam, where it forms the delta known in Vietnam as the “Nine Dragons.”

Reuters visited three provinces straddling different branches of the delta, where it has supported farming and fishing communities for millennia.

Across the region, local authorities are struggling with a rapid pace of erosion that is destroying homes and threatening livelihoods in the Southeast Asian country’s largest rice-growing region.

A key cause is the years of upstream damming in Cambodia, Laos and China that has removed crucial sediment, local officials and experts said.

That sediment, vital for checking the mighty Mekong’s currents, has also been lost due to an insatiable demand for sand — a key ingredient in concrete and other construction materials in fast-developing Vietnam — that has created a market both at home and abroad for unregulated mining.

“It’s not a problem of the lack of water, it’s the lack of sediment,” said Duong Van Ni, an expert on the Mekong River at the College of Natural Resources Management of Can Tho University, the largest city in the Mekong Delta region.

‘Sand never reaches us’

At this time of year the waters of the Mekong used to flow into Vietnam as a milky-brown crawl, locals and officials said.

Now, the river runs clear. And without fresh sediment from upstream, the deeper riverbed creates stronger currents, which in turn eat away at the banks of the Mekong, where those who rely on the river for their livelihoods have their homes.

The problems began when China built its first hydropower plants in the Upper Mekong Basin, said Ni at Can Tho University. That left Laos, Cambodia and Thailand as the main source of sediment for the Mekong in Vietnam, he said.

Sand mining in Cambodia boomed over the last 10 years, fuelled in part by demand from wealthy but cramped Singapore, where it is used to reclaim land along its coast, and culminating in a government ban of all Cambodian sand exports in 2017 under pressure from environmental groups.

Hydroelectric projects have continued, however. Earlier this month, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen opened a $816 million hydroelectric dam in Stung Treng Province, near the border with Laos, built by companies from China, Cambodia and Vietnam.

The new dam is the Southeast Asian country’s biggest hydroelectric project to date and will have a catastrophic impact on fisheries and biodiversity in the Mekong River, environmental groups have said. Hun Sen has dismissed criticism of the project, which he says benefits Cambodia and its people.

“Since China built hydropower plants, new sand almost never reaches us,” said Ni. “If we use up the sand we have here, there will be no more.”

China’s Foreign Ministry said in response to Reuters’ questions that it “pays great attention to the concerns and needs of downstream countries on the Mekong,” adding that its regulation of water flows from hydro dams “has already become an important instrument in preventing floods and droughts.”

Singapore’s Ministry of National Development said in a statement emailed to Reuters the city state imports sand on a commercial basis from various countries. “We have stringent controls to ensure that suppliers obtain sand in accordance with the source country’s laws and regulations,” it said.

Slingshots and sand thieves

Regional officials in southwest China’s Yunnan Province have defended the building of dams on the Mekong there as “fully legally compliant.”

Downstream, however, the problem is made worse by thieves who illegally mine for sand, usually at night.

“The unlicensed sand miners are very quick and devious,” Nguyen Quang Thuong, vice head of Ben Tre Province’s Agriculture Department, told Reuters in a recent interview.

“They escape very fast, so having groups of local people helping out the authorities is very helpful.”

One such group in Ben Tre, some of whom are as old as 67, have been using homemade weapons such as slingshots and rudimentary catapults to drive the sand thieves away.

“We patrol 24/7, and in the first few months we managed to get rid of 90 percent of the thieves,” said Nam Lai, a member of the group. “Since 2018, none of them dare to go near our shore.”

Still, activists and environmental groups worry that on the Mekong, which runs through six countries with competing needs to exploit the river’s hydroelectric potential, the damage has already been done.

Pianporn Deetes, at the International Rivers campaign group, who has worked on the Mekong for two decades, said there was a lack of political will among the countries that share the river to acknowledge the cross-border impact of such projects.

“Without the recognition of the existing problems, I don’t think there is any hope,” she said.

The post From Tibet to the ‘Nine Dragons,’ Vietnam’s Mekong Delta is Losing Sand appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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