After spate of violence, govt calls on Malaysia to help protect citizens -DVB

After spate of violence, govt calls on Malaysia to help protect citizens Posted: 03 Jun 2013 05:22 AM PDT Published: 3 June 2013 Burma's President Thein Sein (R) and Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak (rear L) attend the 20th ASEAN summit meeting in Phnom Penh on 4 April 2012. (Reuters) Burma's Embassy in Malaysia is pushing local officials to provide its citizens with better protection after a series of violent assaults in Kuala Lumpur left at least three Burmese nationals dead. According to interviews with the Burmese ambassador and reports from Malaysian media outlets, at least three people were murdered and several injured on separate occasions over the weekend, after mobs appeared to be targeting Burmese nationals. "Myanmar Embassy in Malaysia being responsible to protect Myanmar citizens has asked the Foreign Ministry and police headquarters of the host country through diplomatic channels to protect Myanmar citizens," read a report in Monday's English edition of the state mouthpiece, The New Light of Myanmar. According to Burma's ambassador to Malaysia Tin Latt Ko, Malaysian authorities are still investigating the incidents and have beefed security in affected areas. "An investigation is currently in place to find the assailants. We have sent the [Malaysian authorities] all the information we obtained, including CCTV footage," said the ambassador during an interview with DVB. "We are trying the best we can to push the police by feeding them any information we obtain via the Malaysian Foreign Ministry." Several of the attacks occurred in Selayang township, north of Kuala Lumpur where a large community of both legal and illegal Burmese migrants live and work. "Frankly speaking, the area is ridden with major crimes such as drug dealing and murder and is frequented by criminal gangs who the police are unable to keep under control," Tin Latt Ko told MRTV yesterday. According to the ambassador, the rash of violence kicked off on 30 May followed by two separate attacks in Selayang that resulted in one death on Friday. On Monday morning, another Burmese migrant was stabbed to death at a carwash according to a report in The Malaysian Insider published today. Over the weekend, dozens of Burmese residents in Kuala Lumpur sought shelter in a monastery in the capital. "They were scared after their friends got hacked – so they fled," said Abbot Eaindeka of Kampung Burmese Buddhist Monastery. Although officials and Burmese living in Kuala Lumpur have speculated that the assaults may be related to ongoing religious violence within Burma, there has been no official confirmation to support these assertions. Elsewhere in Malaysia, no other major violent incidents were reported in Burmese communities. According to the ambassador, monasteries in Kampong and Penang had received threats; however the official dismissed the statements and said threats were 'common'.  In 2004 and 2006, Burma's embassy in Malaysia had been targeted with arson attacks. "We learnt that the Burmese Monastery in Penang was threatened with arson attacks, but it's just a common thing," the ambassador told DVB. "Our embassy over time has received threats, including arson, hijacking and bombing." Thousands of Burmese nationals reside in Malaysia, including a large number of Muslim Rohingya who land in the country by boat after fleeing religious persecution in Burma.

“Poverty alleviation should be prioritised” – Thein Sein Posted: 03 Jun 2013 05:21 AM PDT President Thein Sein vows to tackle poverty in Burma by introducing micro-finance loans to households and workers and establishing cooperatives.

Govt to examine two-child policy targeting Rohingya Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:49 AM PDT Burma will examine a controversial ban that was imposed on Rohingya Muslims having more than two children, a top official said, after criticism from the United Nations and rights groups. Authorities in the strife-torn Arakan state said last month that they had reaffirmed the longstanding rule – which was first introduced during the junta era – in two townships. “The central government did not announce that policy. We will look into it,” presidential spokesman Ye Htut told AFP. “The population in that area is much higher than in other regions so there are some social and economic problems within each family.” He said the government planned to implement a population policy in the future that would take international standards into consideration. The UN has called for an end to the ban, which it said was discriminatory and an infringement on human rights. Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been accused by activists of failing to speak up for the marginalised Rohingya minority group, last month criticised the policy as counter to human rights. But highlighting the pressure she faces from within her movement, eight NLD offices in Arkan have written to the party headquarters expressing support for the two-child policy, citing national security. Up to 140,000 people – mainly Rohingya – were displaced in two waves of sectarian unrest between Buddhists and Muslims in Arakan state last year that left about 200 people dead. Burma views its population of roughly 800,000 Rohingya as illegal 'Bengali' immigrants. They are considered by the UN to be one of the world’s most persecuted minorities.

Thein Sein vows to curb poverty Posted: 02 Jun 2013 10:07 PM PDT Burmese President Thein Sein pledged on Sunday to tackle chronic poverty in the long-isolated nation, whose economy was left in tatters by decades of harsh junta rule. “We have a good foundation for economic development in our country,” the former general said in a speech in Rangoon, citing ample water resources, an efficient labour force, an advantageous climate and abundant natural resources. “But our country is still one of the poorest LDCs (least developed countries)… We must all strive to get out of this situation,” he said. “Poverty alleviation should be prioritised rather than the wealth of the country at this moment.” Burma was once seen as one of Southeast Asia’s brightest economic prospects, but decades of corruption and economic mismanagement under the former junta caused it to fall behind its regional neighbours. About one quarter of Burma’s population lives below the national poverty line, according to the Asian Development Bank. Thein Sein’s government on Sunday launched a plan to offer micro-finance loans together worth several million dollars to households and workers as part of poverty alleviation efforts. As he was speaking, about 200 people gathered nearby protesting against land grabs, witnesses said. “Welcome to the Democracy President — from the people in Mi Chaung Kan whose lands were unlawfully seized,” read one banner. Demonstrations over alleged land grabs have taken place across the country since 2011, when the repressive junta was replaced by a quasi-civilian government. Analysts say protesters have been emboldened by reforms since the end of military rule, during which dissent was routinely crushed.

Committee asked to push for release of former spy chief’s son-in-law -DVB

Committee asked to push for release of former spy chief’s son-in-law Posted: 31 May 2013 04:50 AM PDT The government-backed political prisoner scrutiny committee has been asked to push for the release of former prime minister and spy chief Khin Nyunt's son-in-law during the next presidential amnesty. Following the purges of the government's military intelligence branch in 2004, Tin Htut was sentenced to 146 years in prison. The purges, which also led to the arrest of Khin Nyunt, have largely been described as the result of a power struggle, between the prime minister and junta strongman Than Shwe. According to Ye Aung of the Former Political Prisoners Organisation, Tin Htut's father Paw Khin Than sent a letter to the committee through the President's Office asking the group to press for his son’s release. Since taking power in 2011, Thein Sein's quasi-civilian government has released more than 22,000 detainees in 10 general amnesties. Of these, 908 people have been identified as political prisoners by the Association for Political Prisoners-Burma (AAPP-B). In January 2012, Khin Nyunt along with his sons were released during a presidential amnesty, while the former majority shareholder of the Myanmar Times and son of a military intelligence officer, Sonny Swe, who was imprisoned in 2005 as part of the purges, was released from prison in late April this year. Although the series of amnesties has brought Thein Sein international praise, rights groups have criticised the government for continually using political prisoners as pawns to garner goodwill with western governments. While the government-backed political prisoner scrutiny committee was created in February to vet the remaining political prisoners of conscious in the country, committee members have complained the process lacks transparency and genuine consultation. During the most recent amnesty on 17 May, committee members said prisoner release lists were compiled in secret by the Prison Department and the President's Office and then passed onto the committee to be endorsed. "U Aung Thein and U Soe Thane are eager to credit prisoner releases to the work of the verification committee, when in fact the releases are not supported by all members and not all members are included in any meaningful way in the release process," said the AAPP-B's Aung Myo Thein during an interview with DVB after the amnesty. More than 180 political prisoners are still incarcerated in Burma, which does not include Tin Htut, according to a list compiled by AAPP-B. According to the scrutiny committee, political prisoners are defined as "any individual who is detained or being legally punished for participating in various forms of political activity due to a belief that it would serve the interest of the country and its people or that the people are suffering, and any individual persecuted by a government or a government authority with a political motive."

Former political prisoners struggle to find work Posted: 31 May 2013 02:21 AM PDT Since President Thein Sein came to power in 2011, over nine hundred political prisoners have been released. But many who have been freed are struggling to fit back into society. Their friends and family sometimes shun them because they are afraid to be associated with a political prisoner. And finding work is extremely difficult. Ko Swe speaks to two former political prisoners who are trying to rebuild their lives.

Philippines protest Burma’s handling of SEA games Posted: 30 May 2013 10:46 PM PDT The Philippines said Thursday it would send a tiny delegation to this year’s Southeast Asian Games in Burma to protest the host’s “unfair” exclusion of mainstream sports. Between 30 and 50 Filipino athletes are expected to compete in Burma compared with 512 at the 2011 SEA Games in Indonesia, Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richie Garcia told AFP. “We’re doing this to protest the unfair changes to the event that Myanmar (Burma) is making,” Garcia said. Burma announced in January that it was excluding Olympic sports such as tennis and gymnastics from the Games, prompting accusations by rivals it was cherry-picking events to help home athletes. Burma has included events such as chinlone, a dance-like sport, and bodybuilding. Garcia said he would not attend the Games in December, and was urging his colleagues on the sports commission also to boycott them. He said he would like to see a standardised roster of events in time for the 2015 SEA Games in Singapore. But Singapore Games organising chief Lim Teck Yin this week backed Burma’s move to include home-grown sports, telling AFP it helped maintain tradition and develop regional character.

Kachin and gov’t reach agreement Posted: 30 May 2013 10:35 PM PDT The Kachin Independence Organisation and it’s armed wing the KIA signed a 7-point agreement with government peace negotiators in Myitkyina on Thursday.

Democratic Voice of Burma

Kachin rebels, govt ink deal aimed at reducing fighting Posted: 30 May 2013 05:01 AM PDT The Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) and government representatives signed a historic seven-point peace agreement on Thursday afternoon, raising hopes that Burma's bloody northern conflict could finally come to an end. Rebels and the government agreed to establish monitoring offices, demarcate territory and to launch rehabilitation projects for displaced people across the restive state, according to local observers. It is the most significant step towards peace that has been achieved since a 17-year ceasefire broke down in June 2011. The talks were overseen by the UN special envoy to Burma Vijay Nambiar, as well as representatives from the ethnic umbrella group the United Nationalities Federal Council. "The agreement includes [provisions] to continue the political discussion between the government and the KIO, to prevent further clashes while efforts are underway to reduce fighting," explained Hla Maung Shwe from the government's Myanmar Peace Centre during a telephone interview with DVB. He added that monitoring groups and liaison offices will be established to improve communication between the two warring sides, while more third party observers would be considered for inclusion in future peace talks. The KIO's armed wing – the Kachin Independence Army – and government troops have been locked in two years of bitter fighting after a 17-year ceasefire fell apart in 2011. Nearly 100,000 people have been uprooted by the violence, and human rights groups have accused both sides of violating the laws of war. Despite numerous rounds of talks, the KIO has refused to sign a new ceasefire deal with Naypyidaw until the country's ethnic minorities are granted greater political autonomy. The rebels have also consistently called for international observers to oversee the peace talks. The talks were held in the state capital of Myitkyina – the first time a meeting between the KIO and state officials has been held in government-controlled territory, which several analysts said was a clear sign that trust was improving between the two sides.

Rohingyas hit with multiple charges for not registering as ‘Bengalis’ Posted: 30 May 2013 03:45 AM PDT Prosecutors in Sittwe have hit seven Rohingyas in Arakan state with myriad charges, including rioting, after they were arrested for refusing to register as 'Bengalis'. During a hearing on 23 May, senior immigration official Yan Aung Myint charged the seven suspects from Thetkalpyin displacement camp with robbery, intimidation and disturbing officials on duty. Twenty-four individuals, who authorities claimed might be on the run, were also charged in absentia. The hearing comes after a scuffle erupted between government officials and the Rohingya on 26 April, after authorities tried to register the internally displaced persons (IDPs) as 'Bengalis' in accordance with a programme headed by the Ministry of Immigration and Population. Prosecutors said that around 100 residents, armed with sticks and swords, quickly gathered at the scene and began attacking authorities, which included policemen and soldiers who were accompanying the officials. According to the defendants' attorney Hla Myo Myint, the skirmish began after one of his clients, Suleman, was slapped in the face by an official, which prompted children in the camp to begin throwing rocks at authorities. Army sergeant Win Aung reportedly sustained a head injury after being struck by a rock at the scene, while local Arakanese team member Tun Hla Aung and immigration official Sai Myint Thu sustained lacerations on their backs. Security forces reportedly fired shots in an attempt to disperse the crowd as they hurled rocks and screamed "Rohingya! Rohingya!" Seven individuals from Thetkalpyin and two from Bawdupha displacement camps were arrested in the skirmish's wake. According to Hla Myo Myint, the officials who went to the camps to register the IDPs had no legal right to force his clients to identify as Bengalis – a term commonly used by government officials that implicitly infers that the group are illegal immigrants "The officials had no authority to determine their ethnicity – according to the 1982 Burma Citizenship Law, the decision has to come at the last stage and made by a government body," said Hla Myo Myint. "Reportedly the [officials] were listing them [as Bengali] by force." Hla Myo Myint, who has represented high-profile opposition activists including the National League for Democracy's chair Aung San Suu Kyi in the past, said his clients' families and the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) asked that he provide legal counsel to the group. Two of the individuals Kyaw Myint and his son Hla Myint who are being charged are both USDP members. "I'm doing this for the rule of law – one of the main objectives of the NLD – to allow human rights for them regardless of their religion and ethnicity," said Hla Myo Myint. The next court appointment has been set for 6 June, but will likely to be postponed until officials can decide if the 24 individuals charged in absentia have actually fled. Arakan state is home to more than 140,000 IDPs, after two bouts of religious violence pitting Arakanese Buddhists against Muslim Rohingya last year led to massive displacement.

Famous actor charged with blasphemy Posted: 30 May 2013 02:24 AM PDT One of Burma’s most famous actors, Ye Deight, is charged with defaming religion after displaying bizarre behaviour outside a church in Rangoon. He staged a solo demonstration after being kicked out of the St Mary's church in Botahtaung township for causing a disturbance.

One killed in second day of rioting Posted: 30 May 2013 12:44 AM PDT Buddhist mobs armed with sticks and machetes burned Muslim homes for a second day in Shan state’s Lashio on Wednesday, contradicting claims in state media that soldiers and police had restored calm. One person has been killed and five others were wounded in the fighting.

Burma must take steps to quell ethnic violence Posted: 29 May 2013 10:39 PM PDT This week's outbreak of violence against Muslims in Lashio marks nearly a year of targeted attacks on Muslims in Burma. Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) recently interviewed witnesses and victims in Arakan state, Mandalay and Saigaing divisions about the ongoing attacks, and found that the government places a low priority on protecting the human rights of ethnic groups in the country. Earlier this month, a team of researchers from PHR spent ten days in central Burma investigating attacks on Muslim civilians. The team interviewed 33 people, including 14 eyewitnesses, and compiled a thorough account of the slaughter of at least 20 children and four teachers in Meikhtila, Mandalay division. Other reports estimate that many more were killed. PHR researchers obtained video footage showing Muslims beaten and burned to death, and confirmed the authenticity of these events with GPS, satellite mapping and eyewitness interviews. In Meikhtila, investigators found that police were complicit in the violence against Muslims   ̶  they marched unarmed Muslims toward an armed civilian mob, then refused to protect them from beating, stoning, and murder; they did not help injured Muslims; and they failed to apprehend perpetrators. The police force's actions in Meikhtila are in violation of the UN code of conduct for law enforcement officials, and the general lack of an effective response from the central government is a monumental failure to protect its citizens from organised and targeted violence. In the wake of unspeakable violence carried out in a methodical manner by civilians with the acquiescence of local police, there must be a strong and swift response within Burma. Despite overtures about tolerance, there has been no credible effort thus far to investigate the massacre and hold perpetrators accountable. The government's weak response to stop the violence and its reluctance to help Muslim victims is a symptom of a larger problem—ethnic groups are not benefitting from fledgling democratic reforms.  Despite some improvements at the political level, they are treated by the new government as they were by the previous regime. Although some analysts suggest the recent violence is a result of new freedoms and democratic reforms, it's actually just the opposite — it is a continuation of abuses against ethnic groups that are done with impunity and either tacit or outright government approval. The evidence PHR collected in Meikhtila shows a pattern of destruction indicative of targeted and coordinated strikes against Muslim-owned businesses, homes, and mosques, and coordinated efforts to drive Muslims out of the town. Although the government imposed curfews in some towns with threats of violence and arrested some perpetrators, the response has been insufficient. Police continue to respond too slowly to stop mobs, victims are targeted for arrest as often as perpetrators, Muslims are warned not to defend themselves against mobs, and there has been no effort to prosecute those behind the attacks. The government's acquiescence sends a strong message that these attacks can be done with impunity. The evidence does not suggest that the government orchestrated the attacks, but it does indicate that the government did not act effectively to curb the violence. As new reports of anti-Muslim violence emerge from other parts of the country, the central government as well as local police must do much more to stop the violence from spreading. Unfortunately, institutionalised impunity has taken root across the country, not only in areas plagued by recent religious violence. In ethnic areas, the abuses have been ongoing for 60 years—military attacks on civilians, forced displacement, environmental destruction, and failure to provide humanitarian aid have not stopped. There has been no effective effort to rein in abuses or prosecute offenders. Perhaps the most difficult task facing the people of Burma today is the process of social reconciliation. One of the starkest examples of ongoing violence is in Kachin state, where the Burmese army has ignored orders from President Thein Sein to stop fighting, and continues to violate the human rights of civilians. Human rights groups have documented attacks on civilians in the state throughout the current conflict, which has raged since June 2011. Violence and impunity also persist in Shan state, where fragile ceasefires recently crumbled and civilians are once again being displaced by conflict. Long-running government abuses against Rohingya are now coming to the world's attention, and violations of human rights against Arakanese, Chin, Karen and other groups have continued. The international community has rewarded the government of Burma for its democratic reforms by lifting sanctions, increasing development aid, and forgiving loans. Yet Burma's roadmap to democracy has yet to include ethnic groups, which make up at least 40 percent of the population. Though most of the sanctions and development concessions were made with the understanding that life for civilians is improving, progress has been far too slow for those in ethnic groups. The international community should not leave ethnic groups in Burma at the mercy of systematic attacks, and it must press for an end to ethnic violence and discrimination in diplomatic negotiations. There will be no easy or quick transition to a peaceful Burma where ethnic and religious groups enjoy the fullest protections of their rights. Instilling a culture of tolerance across ethnic and religious lines and replacing impunity with accountability will not happen without concerted efforts by government actors as well as civil society leaders. Perhaps the most difficult task facing the people of Burma today is the process of social reconciliation. After years of military dictatorship, rampant criminality, and a culture of violence, everyone must make the choice to end violence within their communities. Direction should come from recognized leaders within government and civil society, high-level religious leaders, and well-known democracy activists, who must condemn in unequivocal terms all ethnic and religious violence and hate speech. There must also be an independent and transparent investigation of incidents of religiously motivated violence and discrimination with the ultimate aim of holding any perpetrators accountable. Other countries may be able to assist in these essential efforts, especially with the development of an independent investigation, but the will and the design for a society built on respect and tolerance must originate with the people of Burma. Bill Davis is the former Burma project director and volunteer medical advisor for Physicians for Human Rights and Andrea Gittleman works as the group's senior legislative counsel. -The opinions and views expressed in this piece are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect DVB's editorial policy

One dead, five injured after second day of rioting in Shan state Posted: 29 May 2013 09:15 PM PDT Religious riots shook eastern Burma for a second day Wednesday with one man hacked to death and five injured, a top official said, after an orphanage and mosque were burnt down. Police fired warning shots to disperse rioters after Buddhists and Muslims clashed in the town of Lashio in Shan state, according to presidential spokesman Ye Htut. “The deceased is a man. He was hacked to death with a knife,” Ye Htut told AFP, adding that the security forces were taking action to halt the unrest. Several episodes of religious violence have exposed deep rifts in the Buddhist-majority country and cast a shadow over widely praised political reforms since military rule ended two years ago. Residents said mobs armed with sticks were roaming the streets of Lashio looking for Muslims on Wednesday, while an AFP reporter saw two houses ablaze. A local hospital confirmed it had received four injured men, all Buddhists. One of the wounded, 41-year-old Myint Naing, was seen lying in the hospital, wrapped in bandages. The local electricity board worker said he was attacked by a group of around 30 Muslims as he was leaving the town on his motorcycle on Wednesday. “My friend was able to run away and escape but I couldn’t… I was attacked. They cut my arm off,” he said, adding he was waiting to go into surgery to reattach the limb. Security forces had imposed an overnight curfew Tuesday after the initial unrest, which authorities said was triggered by an attack on a local Buddhist woman. A 48-year-old Muslim man was arrested over that incident, in which the 24-year-old woman suffered burns but was not in serious condition, according to state broadcaster MRTV. Rioters destroyed a Muslim orphanage, a mosque and several shops, according to a different government official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Ye Htut, who earlier appealed for calm, posted pictures of police making arrests in the town on Wednesday as they tried to quell a second eruption of violence that he said saw “conflict from both sides”. “The security forces are taking action against people who are involved in the violence in order to stop the fighting in Lashio,” he said. Fear rippled through the streets on Wednesday, with terrified Muslim residents describing a 30-strong group of men with weapons on motorcycles cruising Lashio and shouting anti-Muslim slogans. The residents said there was not enough security in the town. “Almost all Muslim people are trying to stay in safe places…. we don’t know how we are going to get through the night,” one resident said by telephone, asking not to be named. He said the mob of bikers was threatening to “kill any Muslims they see on the road”. Religious unrest in the former army-ruled nation has caused global alarm. US President Barack Obama last week voiced “deep concern” about anti-Muslim attacks, during a landmark visit to Washington by President Thein Sein. Nyan Win, a spokesman for opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, said the party believed outsiders were whipping up the violence in Lashio. “The people they know that this violence (does) not happen automatically. They know that there’s a third person there,” he said, without elaborating. In March, at least 44 people were killed in sectarian strife in central Burma with thousands of homes set ablaze. Some monks – who were among the most vocal pro-democracy supporters during Burma’s repressive junta era – have been involved in the violence, while others are spearheading a move to boycott shops owned by Muslims. Wirathu, a monk from Mandalay responsible for some of the most vitriolic anti-Muslim rhetoric, on Wednesday posted several graphic pictures apparently of the injured Buddhist woman on his Facebook page. Communal unrest last year in the western state of Arakan left about 200 people dead and displaced up to 140,000 people, mainly Rohingya Muslims.

Democratic Voice of Burma

Mob targets reporters during Lashio riots Posted: 29 May 2013 05:04 AM PDT Two freelance reporters covering the ongoing violence in Shan state's Lashio for DVB were injured and had their SIM cards stolen after being assaulted by rioters on Wednesday. While watching a mob loot a restaurant in the Lashio's ward-7 on Wednesday afternoon, the two reporters were attacked by unidentified assailants who arrived at the scene on motorbikes. "I got beat up and left with a bleeding head and my colleague also took a hit on the back – we were just watching the situation with cameras around our shoulders when a large group of people arrived on motorbikes and started attacking us," said one of the reporters, who is not being named for security purposes. According to the reporter, the rioters, who asked if they had been documenting the incident, then snatched their cameras. "We answered no, but they were going to take the cameras – in the end we convinced them to only take the memory cards," said the reporter, adding that the situation in Lashio was still chaotic even after authorities issued a curfew order last night. "The mobs are roaming around the town on motorbikes, cars and Tuk-Tuks – they are playing cat and mouse with security forces, popping up here and there." As of today, the mobs were continuing to burn down buildings – including a cinema and several restaurants. Rights groups condemned the attacks on Wednesday and said authorities were responsible for prosecuting the individuals behind the assault on the journalists. "Too often forgotten in all the discussions about liberalising media laws and ending censorship is the ground reality that reporters must be protected to report what they see, without fear of violence or retaliation," said Phil Robertson from Human Rights Watch. "The fact that these reporters were targeted by the mob fearing independent documentation of their crimes is profoundly disturbing.  The police need to urgently investigate and get to the bottom of this incident, and arrest and prosecute those responsible for this attack."

Displaced Kachin keep wary eye on peace talks Posted: 29 May 2013 04:30 AM PDT As the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) and the government sit down for talks this week, refugees living in displacement camps in northern Burma are hoping the two sides will address their concerns after two years of fighting. During an interview with DVB on Tuesday, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA)'s Deputy Commander-in-chief Guan Maw said the plight of Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDPs) plight would be discussed as a separate issue during the latest round of talks. After a 17-year ceasefire between the KIO and the government collapsed in 2011, more than 80,000 people have been displaced due to the fighting. "The [IDPs] are hopeful that it's going to be different this time but some are still sceptical – they see it is just yet another meeting," said Mary Aung, an activist who works with the IDP camps, adding the two sides have discussed the issue in the past but have yet to hammer out any firm results. Others said that an end to fighting would be welcome, but extensive damage to local villages needs to be addressed before they can return to their villages. "Even if they say in the meeting we can go back home, we actually don't have a home anymore to go back to – there is probably just a jungle where our villages stood," said Roi Hseng, a teacher in one of the camps. According to a report published by humanitarian organisation the Free Burma Rangers this week, IDP camps have been chronically underfunded and difficult to access as fighting continues between the military and KIA. "Relief is far below the international humanitarian standard (which mandates that all persons should be provided with provisions such as a safe environment, adequate food and water, and acces to healthcare) due to ongoing attacks by the Burma Army, insufficient funding and limited access for aid organisations in the remote locations of the IDP camps," reported FBR. Rights groups have continually criticised the military for blocking the shipments of humanitarian aid to IDPs in Kachin state, while the government has fired back with accusations that rebel forces have consistently struck convoys driving on the roads and supply routes in the state. While the latest rounds of talks have been heralded as historic due to the presence of the UN's special envoy to Burma and promises of a political dialogue with the country’s armed ethnic groups, others remain doubtful that the military is acting entirely out of honest intentions. "We really want to go back to our villages, but we still have doubts whether the government would really engage in the talks with genuine goodwill," said Pastor Zao Nan in Pakahtaung IDP camp. "We would like to urge them to bury the hatchet with the KIA, in consideration for the people, and to make things the best." While the government has continually pushed for a ceasefire with the Kachin, the KIO has refused to sign a new agreement with Naypyidaw until Burma's ethnic groups are guaranteed greater political rights.

Shan state officials object to establishment of inter-faith group Posted: 29 May 2013 02:56 AM PDT Shan state's regional government late last week slammed the establishment of an inter-faith organisation in Taunggyi. Buddhists, Christians, Hindus and Muslims formed the group on 8 May while attending a workshop sponsored by the Yadanar Myay Social Development Association and Norwegian People's Aid. On Saturday, Shan state's regional government posted a statement on its website publicly objecting to the establishment of the group, claiming authorities had given the green light to the workshop but had not provided the attendees with permission to form an organisation in the event's wake. The group's patron Buddhist monk Khema Nanda said authorities had not contacted him to express their disapproval. "I knew that a statement was posted online, but I never received an official notice," said Khema Nanda. The controversy around the formation of the inter-faith group comes as tensions between Buddhists and Muslims continues to flare up across the country. On Tuesday, religious violence spilled over into Shan state's Lashio after a Muslim resident allegedly doused a Buddhist woman with petrol and set her ablaze. According to a National League for Democracy Central Executive Committee member in Lashio, police said the man behind the attack was apprehended and later found to be carrying drugs. "They apparently found two pills on him – he bought some petrol from a roadside vendor, then splashed her with it and tried to set her on fire. She ran and in the end was caught on fire," said Sai Myint Maung. "He was apprehended by residents in the neighbourhood and sent to the police station-1." Once he was taken to Lashio's police station-1, a crowd of approximately 150 people gathered outside the building demanding the suspect be handed over to the mob. "We went to the police station to clarify that it was actually we the Buddhists being terrorised and not the other way around," said Buddhist monk Ashin Inkura who was at the scene. "We wouldn't want fingers pointed at our religion." After authorities refused to comply with the crowds' demands, the mob went on a rampage across the city targeting mosques, an Islamic school and Muslim-owned businesses, including teashops and a restaurant. Authorities responded by installing a curfew in the town at 9pm, and according to photographs taken at the scene, military troops were deployed to the municipality to maintain order. The riots in Lashio are the latest episode of ongoing religious violence to erupt since fighting broke out a year ago between Muslim Rohingya and Buddhists Arakanese in western Burma's Arakan state. Similar bouts of rioting have spread across central Burma and now appears to be spilling over into the country's northern borderlands. While Burma's transition from military junta to quasi-civilian government has resulted in the removal of targeted sanctions by western governments, Thein Sein's inability to quell religious rioting and the rising tide of Buddhist nationalism in the country has tarnished the leader's reformist image. During a meeting in Rangoon on Monday, opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi spoke out against a ban imposed by Arakan state officials that prevents Rohingya in multiple towns from having more than two children. According to a report in AFP, Suu Kyi described the policy as discriminatory and said the ban was "not in line with human rights". -Nang Mya Nadi provided additional reporting.

Riots erupt in Lashio Posted: 28 May 2013 11:05 PM PDT Religious riots have erupted in Shan state’s Lashio, after a Buddhist woman was allegedly ‘torched’ by a Muslim man.

Religious riots erupt in Shan state Posted: 28 May 2013 09:13 PM PDT Houses and mosques were set ablaze by mobs in a town in eastern Burma after a Buddhist woman was allegedly “torched” by a Muslim man, said authorities on Tuesday, in a fresh bout of religious violence. An ethnic Shan-Muslim man was arrested after he “torched” a woman selling petrol, a police officer in the Shan state capital of Lashio told AFP under the condition of anonymity. A town official confirmed the arrest of the Muslim man who he said had “torched a woman with petrol”. A curfew was imposed late Tuesday to disperse angry mobs of local people – including Buddhist monks – who had “destroyed some houses and mosques”, the official added, also declining to be named. “Fires have been put out at some places in the town… the situation is under control now,” the official said, adding soldiers have been deployed to enforce the curfew. The woman, an ethnic Shan-Buddhist, was taken to hospital, but neither official could give details of her condition. Residents in Lashio, around 200 kilometres (120 miles) northeast of Mandalay, said Muslim shops and even a school had been set alight as furious mobs demanded the police hand the suspect over to them. “I can still see smoke and flames coming out from a Muslim school… it appears the school has been burnt down,” one resident told AFP by telephone, confirming the curfew. “We do not know exactly what is going on.” The mainly Buddhist Shan are the country’s second-largest ethnic group, accounting for about nine percent of the population. Attacks against Muslims – who officially make up an estimated four percent of Myanmar’s Buddhist-majority population – have exposed deep rifts in the formerly junta-run country and cast a shadow over widely praised political reforms. The government says at least 44 people were killed and thousands left homeless after a flare-up of religious violence in March, which was apparently triggered by a quarrel in a gold shop. Tensions have simmered since, with hardline Buddhists – including monks – urging a boycott of Muslim shops and deploying fierce anti-Muslim rhetoric. Three Muslims, including the gold shop owner, were jailed for 14 years in April for assaulting a Buddhist customer, while this month seven more received sentences of up to 28 years in connection with the violence. So far no Buddhists have been convicted over the unrest, which began in the central town of Meikhtila, but officials have insisted both sides are being treated equally. Last year up to 140,000 people – mainly Rohingya Muslims – were displaced in two waves of sectarian unrest between Buddhists and Muslims in western Arakan state. Human Rights Watch has accused Burma’s authorities of being a party to ethnic cleansing over the violence, which killed some 200 people and saw mobs set fire to whole villages. Burma’s reformist President Thein Sein this month vowed to uphold Rohingya rights, while opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday made a rare intervention in the incendiary issue to condemn a ban on Rohingya having more than two children in strife-t

Democratic Voice of Burma

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• Historic peace talks for Kachin and gov’t
• UN envoy attends latest round of Kachin, govt peace talks
• Clean water delivery for Burma
• Wa rebels seek a state of their own

Historic peace talks for Kachin and gov’t Posted: 28 May 2013 05:16 AM PDT Representatives from the Kachin Independence Organisation and Naypyidaw's official peace team held their first round of talks in government-controlled territory on Tuesday as the UN's special envoy to Burma observed the negotiations.

UN envoy attends latest round of Kachin, govt peace talks Posted: 28 May 2013 04:51 AM PDT Representatives from the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) and Naypyidaw's official peace team held their first round of talks in government-controlled territory on Tuesday as the UN's special envoy to Burma observed the negotiations. The government's team led by President's Office Minister Aung Min and KIO officials made familiar promises to open a political dialogue and bring an end to fighting between the two sides. "Today's meeting mainly focuses on discussing principles. Previously, we held meetings in China's Ruili town focusing the discussion on whether a political dialogue would really take place in the future," said Guan Maw, Deputy Commander-in-chief of the KIO's armed wing the Kachin Independence Army. "The government stated that it will take place." As the meeting commenced, Burma's military representative at the talks said the government was committed to putting an end to violence that's rocked the country's northern state since a ceasefire with the KIO collapsed in 2011. "We are determined to hold union-level meetings with the KIA to reach a conclusive agreement to bring about a complete end to the bilateral fighting," said Lieutenant-General Myint Soe, chief of the military's Bureau of Special Operations. While the two sides were due to meet in April, the talks were postponed as the KIO continued to push for the presence of international observers at the next round of negotiations. Although representatives from western governments did not travel to Myitkyina, the United Nations' special envoy to Burma Vijay Nambiar and members from the ethnic-umbrella organisation the United Nationalities Federal Council sat in on the arbitration at the invitation of the KIO. According to Aung Htun Myint, a DVB reporter in the Kachin capital, representatives from the Chinese government were also in attendance. Today's meeting follows up on an earlier round of talks held in Ruili, China on 11 March, where the two parties agreed to reduce fighting, but failed to sign an official ceasefire agreement. While the government has continually pushed for a new truce with the Kachin, the KIO have refused to sign any agreement until Burma's ethnic groups are guaranteed greater political rights in the country. According to Aung Htun Myint, the government's chief negotiator Aung Min announced that President Thein Sein was planning to hold a larger conference this summer that would invite representatives from the country's myriad armed groups to discuss ceasefires and open a political dialogue. According to one analyst, the government must address the political grievances of the country's ethnic groups if they hope to bring an end to fighting. "I think there will be a political dialogue. I don't think there will be any kind of alternative to that," said Paul Keenan, research coordinator at the Burma Centre for Ethnic Studies. "I don't think there's going to be a substantive one for at least another year or so. So really what I think what the [KIO] are doing now is they're going to be trying to make sure that it is on the table and that the government will actually at least try to give them enough trust to try to believe it. "These meetings right now are just trust-building exercises." During a speech in Rangoon on Monday, opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi slammed the government's recent reforms for failing to produce 'tangible changes' and said Burma's officials were continuing to discriminate against the country's ethnic minorities. "My ethnic representatives said that as long as there is inequality among the races of Burma, there will not be peace," said Suu Kyi, according to a report published in the Irrawaddy on Monday. As the Kachin delegation arrived in Myitkyina on Monday, thousands of supporters lined the streets to greet the convoy, effectively dispelling the government's familiar narrative that the KIO did not have the support of the Kachin populace. "Around 40,000-50,000 locals showed up unannounced yesterday," said Aung Min during his opening address. "We can see everyone wishes for peace. I strongly believe that this meeting will [produce] a fruitful agreement."

Clean water delivery for Burma Posted: 28 May 2013 01:03 AM PDT Bill and Hillary Clinton’s daughter, Chelsea Clinton with the Director of P&G’s Children’s Safe Drinking Water Programme, Dr Greg Allgood visit Gway Dauk Chaung village in Panthein township, to mark the sixth billionth litre of clean drinking water the company has delivered.

Wa rebels seek a state of their own Posted: 27 May 2013 09:44 PM PDT Burma’s most heavily armed and powerful rebel group has said it is looking to carve out a legitimate state, as experts say it is flexing its muscles amid tense relations with the government. The United Wa State Army, which commands an estimated 30,000 troops, holds sway over a remote mountainous area on the northeast border with China that is believed to be awash with drugs and has long been aloof from the central government's control. Shielded from the reach of the previous junta by its close links to Beijing and formidable military might, observers say the group is using political openings under a new government to push for greater official acknowledgement. The Wa self-administered region consists of six townships in the rugged borderlands of Shan state, but UWSA spokesman Tone Sann told AFP that the current arrangement was “not enough”. “We want them to be acknowledged as a state,” he said on the sidelines of a religious ceremony in northern Shan that marked a rare public appearance for officials from the rebel group. The UWSA has upheld a ceasefire agreement with the government since 1989, one of the longest such deals in a country that has been riven by pockets of ethnic rebellion since independence in 1948. A raft of tentative new ceasefires have been inked by the new quasi-civilian government that replaced military rule two years ago as part of reforms that have raised hopes of greater federalism in a nation long gripped by junta insistence on unity and conformism. “The Wa have proven adept, in the past, at garnering the concessions they need,” Nicholas Farrelly of the Australian National University told AFP, adding that the group’s military, economic and political resources makes them a “force to reckon with”. “Moreover, given they run what often feels like an independent borderland fief, it is logical that the Wa leadership would be the first to test a new style of decentralisation.” Ethnic Wa make up about one percent of the Burmese population, with about 800,000 people of various ethnic groups in the self-administered region, according to Tone Sann. He said the UWSA made an official request for their region to be upgraded to “Wa State” in talks with a government peace team this month, adding they received assurances it would be considered in the country’s parliament. Burma has seven ethnic minority states and seven regions, mainly of the majority Burman ethnicity. Tone Sann said the Wa want their region to be recognised as a state to take advantage of regional development, as resource-rich and strategically located Burma looks to reap the rewards of ending decades of isolation. Sai Pao Nap, an upper house MP from the Wa Democratic Party said the group is also keen to deal directly with the central government, rather than the current arrangement of communicating through authorities in Shan state. “I do not think their demand to be a state can cause any complication,” said the politician, who is also a chairman of the parliament’s National Races Affairs Committee. But he added that there have been heightened tensions between the UWSA and the military for two years, when the group was asked to join a so-called border guard force under the command of the Burmese army. The Wa claim comes as the country’s military is locked in a deadly conflict with rebels in neighbouring Kachin, where a 17-year ceasefire collapsed soon after the new government came to power in 2011. Peace talks with the Kachin, which were set to continue on Tuesday, have stumbled at several hurdles and the unrest has continued amid suspicions that the army is determined to bring all the insurgents to heel once and for all. A recent report by analysts IHS Jane’s said the UWSA ceasefire was “fragile” and suggested the group had purchased armed helicopters from China as part “a programme of rapid rearmament” – a claim denied by both Beijing and the Wa. Tone Sann said some aircraft had been bought as “samples” to put on display to the public. “These are not real ones and cannot be used. We just wanted to attract more people to visit our museum,” he said. “It is not true that we bought helicopters from China,” he added, also rejecting persistent claims of widespread opium and methamphetamine production in Wa territory as “just accusations”. Farrelly said China was the “sponsor and facilitator of Wa success”, a situation that the Burmese government may “resent” but would have little opportunity to counter. “It is a borderland defined by its entanglements and ambiguities, with the Chinese playing an inevitable role in what they consider their own backyard.”

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Democratic Voice of Burma

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• Thousands greet Kachin delegation ahead of peace talks in Myitkyina
• Naypyidaw’s ‘magnetic’ hill
• Rohingya two-child rule ‘discrimination’: Suu Kyi
• Meikhtila residents rebuff resettlement plan, want land back
• Japan’s PM cancels Burma’s debt
• Japanese PM promises ‘all possible assistance’ to Burma

Thousands greet Kachin delegation ahead of peace talks in Myitkyina Posted: 27 May 2013 05:03 AM PDT As the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO)'s delegation rolled into Myitkyina on Monday, thousands of supporters filled the streets to greet the rebel convoy in a massive show of support ahead of the next round of peace talks that are set to begin in the state capital on Tuesday. The delegation, led by the KIO's Education Chief Sumlut Gam, entered the Kachin state capital around 1pm, as locals thronged the route to Majwe Hall, where talks will commence tomorrow between the KIO and a government delegation. As the convoy passed, the crowd chanted the Kachin national anthem and played traditional instruments, while waving KIO flags in a sign of solid support for the rebels who have been fighting a bitter war against the government for two years. "There's a huge crowd of people, stretching over a mile from the Bhala Minhtin Bridge crossing the Irrawaddy River towards the Majwe Hall – they were playing instruments and signing the Kachin national anthem while waving flags," said one local resident in Myitkyina. According to the local at the scene, the massive greeting was spontaneous and had not been directed by any outside group. "This wasn't actually planned ahead – the KIO weren't really keen for that either due to safety concerns. But we are all Kachin people of the same blood and would like to show that we fully trust and support the KIO's work." Former KIO official Dr. Tuja said the location of the talks inside government territory was a testament to the increase in trust between the two sides after fighting intensified earlier this year when government troops launched a massive offensive against the rebel stronghold in Laiza. According to the former KIO official, observers expect significant decisions to be discussed during this round of talks, which will also be attended by the UN's Special Burma Envoy Vijay Nambia and representatives from the United Nationalities Federal Council – an umbrella organisation made up of 11 of Burma's ethnic armed groups. "This is the first ever meeting held in Myitkyina, the state's capital, since 1994 and [the talks] aim to discuss topics including how to prevent further fighting, the formation of a Battlefield Monitoring Committee and to facilitate a political dialogue," said Tuja. "I hope something will come out of it." The KIO has been locked in nearly two years of fighting with government troops after a 17-year ceasefire collapsed in 2011. During the siege of Laiza, the military relied on airstrikes, helicopter gunships and heavy artillery to dislodge the rebels in what was one of the largest offensives launched against ethnic rebels by the government. Naypyidaw has continually pushed for the signing of a new ceasefire with the KIO, but the rebels continue to push for greater political autonomy for the country's ethnic minorities before inking a new deal.

Naypyidaw’s ‘magnetic’ hill Posted: 27 May 2013 04:00 AM PDT These cars on a road in Pobba Thiri township near Naypyidaw appear to be rolling uphill – are magnetic forces pulling the car, has gravity has gone wrong or is there some other explanation?

Rohingya two-child rule ‘discrimination’: Suu Kyi Posted: 27 May 2013 03:08 AM PDT Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi Monday criticised a ban on Rohingya having more than two children in strife-torn Arakan state as counter to human rights, in rare comments on the plight of the Muslim group. The opposition leader, who has been accused by activists of failing to speak up for the marginalised Rohingya, said she opposed the controversial rule, imposed by the previous junta and reaffirmed recently by local authorities in the wake of deadly unrest. “It is not good to have such discrimination. And it is not in line with human rights either,” the veteran democracy activist told reporters in Rangoon, adding she could not confirm whether the policy was being implemented. Arakan authorities on Sunday told AFP that the rule had been reaffirmed in two Muslim-majority townships in the state. Win Myaing, spokesperson for the Arakan government, said the order was designed to “enforce monogamy and not to have more than two children”. He said the policy had previously been put on hold because of fears over “conflicts among communities” in the state. Up to 140,000 people – mainly Rohingya Muslims – were displaced in two waves of sectarian unrest between Buddhists and Muslims in Arakan state last year. Human Rights Watch has accused the authorities of being a party to ethnic cleansing over the violence, which killed some 200 people and saw mobs torch whole villages. It described the population policy as “abhorrent, inhumane” and “completely contrary to human rights”. An official commission’s report in April into the unrest suggested voluntary family planning to stem a high birthrate among the Rohingya that it said stoked tensions. Local authorities have previously been accused of trying to restrict birthrates among the Rohingya by refusing to acknowledge any more than two children per married couple – thereby denying them legal rights and access to services. Burma views its population of roughly 800,000 Rohingya as illegal Bengali immigrants and denies them citizenship. They are considered by the United Nations to be one of the world’s most persecuted minorities.

Meikhtila residents rebuff resettlement plan, want land back Posted: 27 May 2013 01:03 AM PDT Residents in central Burma's Meikhtila whose homes were burnt down during anti-Muslim riots last March are asking to be resettled on their former land plots after officials pushed a plan to move the group into new apartment blocks. Following the riots, authorities in Meikhtila announced a plan to build several apartment buildings that would contain more than 3,000 flats in total in Chanayethar and Thiri Mingalar wards. Khin Nan, a spokesperson from the Meikhtila-based civil society group Htilar Thuhka Thammagi Association, said the residents who are still living in displacement camps have told authorities they would prefer to return to their land plots instead of moving into new apartments. "The [residents] have sent letters objecting to the new housing plan – most of them are livestock breeders and have odd jobs. They won't fit in with the new housing system," said Khin Nan. According to the spokesperson, each plot of land's market value hovers around 70-80 million Kyat. While the people who stand to lose their land have objected to the authorities initial proposal, others say the new development plan should be implemented to prepare for the future expansion of the city. "They should look 20 years ahead – how much the population will grow – and now is the best time to draw an urban development plan to facilitate for the increase in population," said Htein Linn Khaing, a Meikhtila-based member of the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society. More than 10,000 residents in Mandalay division's Meikhtila were displaced during the riots in March. Only about half of those who were forced to flee from their houses have been able to return home. According to residents who've been resettled, trust between the city's Buddhists and Muslim communities has crumbled. Last week, seven Muslim men were sentenced to jail for the murder of a monk, whose death allegedly kicked off the wave of religious riots that spread across central Burma. The sentences come as rights groups claim the government failed to protect Muslim communities during the violence. According to a detailed report published by Physicians for Human Rights last week, authorities turned a blind eye as 20 Muslim students were massacred by monk-led mobs during the Meikhtila riots.

Japan’s PM cancels Burma’s debt Posted: 27 May 2013 12:59 AM PDT Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledges to provide Burma with USD$500 million in development aid and cancels the remainder of Burma’s debt, during his visit to the country to boost economic ties.

Japanese PM promises ‘all possible assistance’ to Burma Posted: 26 May 2013 09:55 PM PDT Japan on Sunday announced a development aid and loan package for Burma worth hundreds of millions of dollars as it boosts trade ties with the fast-changing nation seen as a key regional emerging market. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has pledged “all possible assistance” to kick-start Burma’s long-neglected economy, agreed the plans in talks with reformist President Thein Sein in the capital Naypyidaw, according to a joint statement released by Japan’s foreign ministry. “…in laying a new foundation for taking the relationship between Japan and Myanmar (Burma) to a higher level and establishing a lasting, friendly and cooperative relationship, Japan and Myanmar will work together,” it said, before outlining areas of cooperation. Abe’s visit, the first visit by a Japanese premier since 1977, heralds a further improvement in already warm relations between Japan and Burma, as political reforms and the removal of most Western sanctions spur investment in the former pariah state. As part of the new deals, the Japanese premier pledged up to 51 billion yen ($498.5 million) in new loans to Burma. This covers countrywide infrastructure development, including road, electricity and water supplies; power station maintenance; and development of the Thilawa special economic zone near Rangoon, a project agreed by both countries in December. Japan also confirmed it would forgive 176.1 billion ($1.74bn) of Burma’s debts – the final portion of the 300 billion yen ($3.4 billion) that Tokyo pledged in April 2012 to cancel. The move was contingent on further reforms. “In support of the development of Myanmar and having implemented its arrears clearance operation with Myanmar, the Government of Japan decided to provide new yen loans as well as grant assistance,” the statement said. Japan also announced an aid package worth up to 2.4 billion yen ($23 million) for water management in Rangoon and a scholarship programme for young administrators overseeing the country’s social and economic development. On Saturday Abe visited the Thilawa project – a 2,400 hectare (6,000 acre) site which will include a port and industrial park – as part of efforts to promote Japanese firms and his country’s infrastructure-building expertise. A memorandum of understanding was also signed for the project between nine Burmese companies and three from Japan – including Mitsubishi – according to the state-backed newspaper The New Light of Myanmar. Abe is accompanied by a 40-strong delegation of bosses from some of Japan’s top companies, including Mitsubishi, Mitsui and infrastructure firms Taisei and JGC. “Japan’s investments in Burma are truly extraordinary, and I think have taken many by surprise,” said Burmese economics expert Sean Turnell before the announcement, using the country’s former name. He said its investment push into Burma was both economic and geopolitical, with “rivalry with China” also driving policy. Turnell said Japan had become the “dominant player” in Burma, with China facing flak from communities concerned over the environmental and social impact of several major infrastructure projects. “China has been blind-sided, I think, and has a great hole of unpopularity to climb out of. The West is interested, but much of their money remains hovering nervously above the table as yet,” he said. Unlike its Western allies, Japan maintained trade ties and dialogue with Burma during junta rule, which ended in 2011, saying a hard line could push it closer to Beijing. Abe follows in the footsteps of other world leaders who have flocked to the country since it was welcomed back to the international community after Thein Sein’s nominally civilian government was installed two years ago.

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