The Irrawaddy Magazine |
- Swiftly ‘Reveal the Truth’ in Murder of Kachin Teachers: NLD
- Activists Call for Replacement of Election Commission Members
- Embassy Action Urged in Killing of Three Burmese Migrants in Thailand
- Kempinski Hotel Slated for Historical Rangoon Building in Controversial Plan
- Police Accused in Vigilante Drug Bust in Northern Shan State
- Madae Islanders to Protest Inauguration of Kyaukphyu Pipeline
- Student Protest March Continues Despite Opposition from Local Officials
- Retrieval of More Than 30 Slain Filipinos Commandos Underway
- Bangladesh Charges Opposition Chief with Instigating Attack on Bus
- Obama Reveals Nuclear Breakthrough on Landmark India Trip
- ‘We Will Have to Do More, Practically and Mentally’
- ‘I’m Afraid We Won’t Be Able to Sign the Agreement’
| Swiftly ‘Reveal the Truth’ in Murder of Kachin Teachers: NLD Posted: 26 Jan 2015 06:20 AM PST  Mourners attend the funeral for two murdered Kachin schoolteachers in Myitkyina on Thursday. (Photo: Facebook / 88 Generation Peace and Open Society) The opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party on Monday implored Burma's government to swiftly get to the bottom of the grisly murder of two Kachin schoolteachers last week, saying the country's tenuous peace process could hang in the balance. "The loss of the two young Kachin schoolteachers—who were passionate, kind and courageous—is not just a loss for the Kachin Baptist Convention, but for the country as well," the NLD said in a statement on Monday. The two Kachin teachers—Maram Lu Ra and Tangbau Hkawn Nan Tsin, both 20 years old—were killed on Jan. 19. Their partially clothed bodies were found in their shared dormitory in Kaung Kha village, near the border town of Muse, the next morning. They were buried on Thursday in Myitkyina, the Kachin State capital, after an autopsy was conducted at a hospital in Muse. "The rumor about the murderers in the gruesome killing could lead to unwanted conflicts while the country is moving forward to a nationwide ceasefire," read the NLD statement, referring to widespread speculation—not yet confirmed by any official source—that the women were also victims of rape. "Therefore, the government must quickly take action to reveal the truth." Like the NLD, a number of both domestic and international advocacy groups have also released statements in recent days purporting to have verified that the women were raped. On Monday, the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC) held a prayer vigil for the victims in Kaung Kha village to mark the seventh day since their killing. A KBC leader said the convention was told by police on Saturday that authorities were investigating the case under Section 302 and Section 376 of Burma's penal code, covering murder and rape, respectively. Officials have provided no further information on the case, the KBC leader said. Village head La Sai said the results of the autopsy remain unknown, as investigators continue to question villagers in Kaung Kha. Locals say the murders coincided with an increased Burma Army troop presence in the area, fueling speculation among residents—and on social media—that a soldier or soldiers were behind the crime. Police Col. San Lwin, head of the Shan State Police, told The Irrawaddy that the investigation is ongoing. He said hair samples collected from the scene of the crime were being sent to a forensics department in Naypyidaw for DNA testing. "The pieces of hair were found in the two schoolteachers' hands," San Lwin said. "We took the hair samples of 25 soldiers and 10 villagers in front of the Kaung Kha village head and the KBC. They were sent to the Naypyidaw forensics team." He added that the Burma Army had taken control of the crime scene and was requiring anyone entering the area first receive permission from the military, hindering investigators. "The truth will prevail sooner or later. The Army has also helped us in our investigation to question witnesses as well as ensure our security," San Lwin said. Presidential spokesman Ye Htut told The Irrawaddy on Monday that the Burma Army was cooperating with investigators to uncover the perpetrators of the crime. Additional reporting by Nang Seng Nom. The post Swiftly 'Reveal the Truth' in Murder of Kachin Teachers: NLD appeared first on The Irrawaddy. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Activists Call for Replacement of Election Commission Members Posted: 26 Jan 2015 05:13 AM PST  Union Election Commission chairman Tin Aye said in December that the military would stage a coup in the event of political or ethnic turmoil in Burma. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Several Rangoon-based activists said they have started a campaign to call for the replacement of the members of the Union Election Commission (UEC) in order to ensure that the commission will be an independent arbiter during the general elections later this year. "We are explaining to the public first that the UEC is not independent, and if they agree with us we collect their signatures to demand reforms to the commission," said Myat Kyaw, a spokesman of the Mass Movement Acceleration Network, which began the campaign on Sunday. "The current UEC's chairman [Tin Aye] is a former general, who was also a lawmaker and one of the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party leaders. He quit [the party] before being appointed as UEC chairman," Myat Kyaw said. He added that there was also a lack of independence at the lower levels as former and active military officers had been appointed to district and township election commissions. "The commission that will supervise the nationwide election should be formed with independent experts who were not members of any party. So we are asking for reform," he said. "The commission comprises persons from the military, USDP, and others. How can that kind of commission organize a fair election? I don't think they will." Myat Kyaw said that following a public talk on Sunday in Rangoon's Dagon Seikkan Township activists gathered around 200 signatures. More talks and petition activities would be held in Thingangyun, South Okkala, Tamwe and Dawbon townships in the coming weeks. The activists said they planned to send the collected signatures to the President's Office and would organize demonstrations if their demands are not met. Min Zayar, one of the leaders of the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society who spoke during Sunday's talk, said, "If we look at the background history of the commission members and their current performances, the conditions to trust them are not there." Burma's military-drafted 2008 Constitution states that the president shall constitute the commission. The charter sets out a number of conditions on those deemed suitable for appointment to the UEC, including clauses that ban members of political parties or lawmakers. In 2013, more than 60 army officers were transferred to the civil administration and appointed to district- and township-level election commissions. The move was criticized by some as an attempt by the USDP to prepare in advance for the coming parliamentary election in 2015. Ye Kyaw Swar Myint, executive director of the People's Alliance for Credible Elections, said he understood the concerns among activists and the public regarding a potential lack of independence on the part of the commission, in particular since Tin Aye made controversial remarks last year. "The commission needs to prove that they are independent. When they release a code of conduct for us [election observers], they should also have a code of conduct for themselves and announce it publicly," said Ye Kyaw Swar Myint, whose NGO is cooperating with the commission in order to act as an independent election observer. In December, Tin Aye drew criticism from political opposition parties when he publicly defended the Burma Army's continued role in politics and he raised the prospect of a military coup in the case of political or ethnic turmoil in the country. In April, he raised eyebrows when he said that military lawmakers would leave Parliament "only when democratic standards are high." The Union Election Commission: A Profile
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| Embassy Action Urged in Killing of Three Burmese Migrants in Thailand Posted: 26 Jan 2015 04:23 AM PST  A special Burmese Embassy team observes the bodies of three Burmese migrant workers who were shot dead on Friday in Thailand. (Photo: Facebook / Aung Myo Thant) A Thailand-based migrants' rights NGO has urged the Burmese government to do more to intervene in a recent murder case in which a trio of Burmese laborers in Thailand were found shot to death by an unknown assailant. The three migrant workers at a rubber plantation in southern Thailand's Surat Thani province were shot dead on Friday. The victims, from Mon State in Burma, included a 14-year-old boy, Chit Phu, who was killed along with his brother Kyaw Htoo, 29. The third victim, San Min, was 22 years old. "The victims were murdered at around 9 pm on Friday night in the field of their rubber plantation," said Htoo Chit, director of the Foundation for Education Development, an NGO assisting migrant workers in Thailand. "We were told by neighbors that they heard about 14-15 gunshots at that time, and when they went to check, they found their bodies, shot from close range in their heads and necks," said Htoo Chit, citing information received from local rubber plantation workers. "Such murder cases are not uncommon," Htoo Chit said, adding that in similar cases of migrant workers' victimization, "no justice was brought." In this case, he said, the Burmese Embassy had helped to secure the release of the victims' bodies from the morgue, with his foundation arranging a proper funeral for the deceased at a monastery in Surat Thani. The bodies are due to be buried on Wednesday, pending the arrival of the victims' family members to Thailand. Htoo Chit added that letters had been sent to the embassy, the Burmese Ministry of Labor and Parliament, seeking their intervention in the case. "It should be a government to government intervention," he said. "If the government collaborates more with the local NGOs and with Thai authorities, we could see fewer cases in the future." The murder of the three migrant workers comes four months after the high-profile killing of two British tourists on the Thai resort island of Koh Tao. Thai authorities have pinned the murders on two Burmese migrant workers, though human rights groups including Htoo Chit's foundation have claimed the legal case against the men is deeply flawed. Aung Myo Thant, a Burmese lawyer working on the Surat Thani migrant workers' case, said they had not yet made official contact with the relevant Thai law enforcement personnel. "We heard some people have been detained, but it could not be confirmed yet that they are the perpetrators. We are trying to get as much information as we can, then we will share it with the ambassador and will follow his lead." The post Embassy Action Urged in Killing of Three Burmese Migrants in Thailand appeared first on The Irrawaddy. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kempinski Hotel Slated for Historical Rangoon Building in Controversial Plan Posted: 26 Jan 2015 04:15 AM PST  The former Police Commissioner Office, which later served as the Rangoon Divisional Court, is pictured in 2012, before work began to convert it into a hotel. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) NAYPYIDAW — Switzerland's Kempinski Group, a Thai investor and a Burmese conglomerate have been allowed to turn Rangoon's colonial-era, former Police Commissioner's Office into an international luxury hotel, a senior official said on Monday. The privatization plan is being fiercely opposed, however, by a group of Burmese lawyers who want to restore the landmark building to its function as the Rangoon Division Court. Aung Naing Oo, secretary of the Myanmar Investment Commission, told The Irrawaddy that the commission had approved a plan to let Kempinski Group and its partners develop the historic building into an establishment for well-heeled visitors. "We’ve allowed the former [Police] Commissioner's Office to become a Kempinski Hotel," he said. Franck Droin, general manager of the Kempinski Hotel in Naypyidaw, said that Kempinski Group, Thailand's Kanok Furniture and Decoration, and Burma's Jewelry Luck Group Myanmar signed an agreement in October to jointly develop a colonial-era building on Strand Road. "We will have a hotel in Yangon, it's a now a bit early to talk in detail about that because a lot of work needs to be done, but it will open at the end of 2016 in Yangon. It's a heritage building," Droin said during an interview in Naypyidaw on Monday, without specifying which historic building the international hotel chain would be developing. The Kempinski Hotel in Rangoon will feature 229 rooms and suites, three restaurants, a lobby lounge, a rooftop bar, a grand ballroom, a swimming pool and a spa, the group said in a press release in November. The extensive upgrade is being implemented by Thai and Burmese investors, Droin said, adding that Kempinski Group is advising on how to develop the building to international hotel standards and will manage the hotel. In October, Siam Commercial Bank announced it had signed an agreement with Kanok Furniture and Decoration to provide US$60 million in financial support for a joint venture between Kanok and Jewelry Luck Group Myanmar to develop Kempinski Hotel in Rangoon by 2016. Jewelry Luck Company was founded in Burma in 1995 and has business interests in trade, hotels, timber logging and mining. The Rangoon Division Court was housed in the 90-year-old Police Commissioner's Office—located in a prime location downtown on the corner of Sule Pagoda Road and Strand Road—until it was shuttered in 2012 and slated for sale to private investors. Shortly afterward, the Myanmar Lawyers' Network began organizing protests against the handover of judicial buildings in the Pabedan Township area, which saw both the Police Commissioner's Office and the nearby High Court building handed over to unknown private companies. The government later abandoned plans to develop the 103-year-old court building. A lack of information has surrounded the project at the Commissioner's Office and a purportedly Burmese-owned firm named "Flying Tiger Company" gained the rights to turn the massive building into a hotel in 2012. Renovation has since gone on at the site, but no details have been released about how the government would benefit from leasing the huge public building to hoteliers and investors. Some 50 Burmese lawyers staged a protest against the development of the former Police Commissioner's Office in 2012 and in May last year, when they threatened the Rangoon Division government with a civil lawsuit over the plans. Kyee Myint, of the Myanmar Lawyers' Network, said on Monday that the group would continue to fight against the plans to turn the former Police Commissioner's Office into a luxury hotel. "We have demonstrated at the former Commissioner's Office on Strand Road two times before. Now we just sued the [Rangoon Division] government [over the project]," he said, adding that it was the third attempt by the lawyers to get their complaint accepted by a court. Kempinski first opened a large hotel in Naypyidaw in August that was funded by local conglomerates Kanbawza (KBZ) Group and Jewellery Luck Company, which invested US$45 million total in its construction. United States' Hilton Hotels, Singapore's Parkroyal and France's Accor Group also have luxury hotels in the military-built capital. Following Burma's opening up under President Thein Sein's reformist government in recent years, international tourist and business visitor arrivals have greatly increased and international hoteliers have flocked to the country to invest in expanding the number of hotel rooms. The post Kempinski Hotel Slated for Historical Rangoon Building in Controversial Plan appeared first on The Irrawaddy. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Police Accused in Vigilante Drug Bust in Northern Shan State Posted: 26 Jan 2015 04:07 AM PST  A photo circulated online shows two men in stockades, with one man wearing a Myanmar Police Force uniform while the other is dressed in plainclothes. (Photo: Facebook / Pe Ter Pau) RANGOON — Two men have been detained in Namkham Township, northern Shan State, after a group of antinarcotics vigilantes say they apprehended the duo in possession of illicit drugs. Kyaw Sein, a youth activist from Namkham who leads antinarcotics efforts in the region, told The Irrawaddy that the two men had driven a motorbike to Mang Kah village on Saturday morning and planned to sell drugs to local residents when they were confronted by antinarcotics activists. "We got many tips that they were coming, but we did not know what type of drugs they would have with them. We waited to arrest them in the village. All the youths surrounded them, and they tried to ditch their drug stash, but they could not do it. So, we found them with drugs on them," Kyaw Sein told The Irrawaddy. The two men have been held at the Namkham police station since Saturday, when they were allegedly found with more than 90 amphetamine pills and a small amount of heroin. Accounts differ on the identities of the pair, according to Kyaw Sein, who said police are claiming that only one of the men is a police officer, while locals maintain that the duo both hold badges. A photo circulated via social media shows two men in stockades, with one man wearing a Myanmar Police Force uniform while the other is dressed in plainclothes. An unnamed officer at the police station in Namkham told The Irrawaddy that he was not authorized to comment when asked about the identities of the two men. Kyaw Sein claimed the two men did not provide their real names when asked. "This is why we cannot stop illegal drug trafficking in Namkham—because police are involved in the drug trafficking. They extort taxes from drug dealers or seize the drugs and then sell them back to the dealers," he said. On Jan. 9, police seized more than 30 pounds of heroin in the town of Namkham, and detained a Chinese national who they found with the illegal substance in his car. Namkham is known for its thriving trade in illicit drugs, according to antinarcotics activists, who say police often turn a blind eye or even participate in the sale and distribution of drugs. Wider Namkham is a mountainous patchwork of poppy fields that is under the control of the local Pansay militia. Locals say Pansay charges a tax on the many farmers in the region who grow poppies, the precursor to heroin and methamphetamine. Meanwhile, fighting in Namkham Township involving the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), pro-government Pansay soldiers and the Burma Army flared on Sunday and continued on Monday, according to TNLA communications officer Mai Aike Kyaw, who linked the renewed violence to drug eradication efforts of the TNLA. The latest clashes occurred after TNLA soldiers entered an ethnic Lisu village and ordered local farmers to destroy their poppy crops, Mai Aike Kyaw said. Troops from the TNLA ordered the crops' destruction near in the Lisu village of Pan Mol, an area that is under the control of the Pansay militia, according to local sources. Fighting broke out after two poppy farms were destroyed on Sunday between the TNLA and Pansay soldiers, with the latter later reinforced by the Burma Army's Light Infantry Battalion 77. "More troops from the Burma Army arrived in the village, and fighting broke out again this morning," said Kyaw Sein on Monday. The post Police Accused in Vigilante Drug Bust in Northern Shan State appeared first on The Irrawaddy. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Madae Islanders to Protest Inauguration of Kyaukphyu Pipeline Posted: 26 Jan 2015 03:51 AM PST  A 2012 showing the subterranean passage of the China-Burma oil and gas pipelines through Pyin Oo Lwin. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) CHIANG MAI, Thailand — The oil pipeline linking the Arakan State port of Kyaukphyu and China will commence operations on Jan. 30, with local residents planning a demonstration against land seizures and environmental damage at the project's official inauguration. Locals said a large contingent of police had been deployed on the island ahead of the opening ceremony for the deep-sea port's oil pipeline, at which Vice-President Nyan Tun is expected to attend. "We’ll air our grievances at the opening ceremony," said Tun Kyi, the leader of the Madae Island Development Group. We are concerned that our waters will be affected by potential oil spills. Environmental conservation groups in Kyaukphyu are also worried." Madae Island villagers have complained that the deep-sea port constructed to service the Kyaukphyu special economic zone has caused environmental destruction, threatening local livelihoods without fulfilling promised economic benefits. A 2013 demonstration against the pipeline resulted in the imprisonment of 10 Madae Island community leaders for three months, and Tun Kyi told The Irrawaddy that some locals have yet to receive compensation for lands confiscated for the project. In an attempt to curry favour with the Madae Island community, Arakan State Chief Minister Maung Maung Ohn and Union Energy Minister Zeya Aung last week visited the island to give away mobile phones and fishing nets, according to Tun Kyi. "They gave out three telephones worth around 110,000 kyats [US$108]—one to me, one to the abbot of the village monastery and one for community elders," he said. "They also gave out fishing nets worth around 4,000 kyats [$3.90] to each household. We told them that the type of fishing net they gave was not suitable for the region, and the Chief Minister said they would take them back and give the village 10 million kyats [$9775] instead." During the official visit, locals expressed concerns at the possible impacts of oil tanker traffic in the port, leading Zeya Tung to assure those present that systematic measures would be taken to conserve the local environment. The oil pipeline will channel shipments from the Middle East and Africa to China's Yunnan Province and will operate in tandem with the Shwe gas pipeline. A joint venture between the Burmese Government and the state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation, the oil pipeline is slated to generate Burma US$22 million in revenue per year. Agreements for dual 771-kilometer oil and gas pipelines were struck between China and Burma's former military regime in 2009. The gas pipeline commenced operations in Oct. 2013, prompting concerns in the following months that low demand for petrochemicals in Yunnan Province threatened the long-term viability of the project. The post Madae Islanders to Protest Inauguration of Kyaukphyu Pipeline appeared first on The Irrawaddy. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Student Protest March Continues Despite Opposition from Local Officials Posted: 26 Jan 2015 01:38 AM PST  Student protesters marching from Mandalay to Rangoon reach Myin Chan on Sunday, where they were greeted by thousands of cheering locals. (Photo: Zarni Mann / The Irrawaddy) MYIN CHAN, Mandalay Division — Authorities tried to halt student protesters marching from Mandalay to Rangoon as they arrived in Myin Chan, Mandalay Division, on Sunday where they were welcomed by thousands of locals. "They told us that if we continued the march, we could be arrested under Article 19 of the Peaceful Assembly Law and asked us to present our permission to protest," said Thant Zin, one of the student leaders. "They are trying to slow us down. On the other hand, they have to do their job which is to stop us. Since we do not agree with the Peaceful Assembly Law, talking with us about [obtaining] permission is out of the question," he said. After talking with student leaders for more than 30 minutes at Nyaung Bin village, about 10 miles from Myin Chan, local officials eventually relented and allowed the protesters to continue. The students have faced other official obstructions since their protest march began on Jan. 20. Authorities pressured a monastery in Kyaukse Township, Mandalay Division, where the group planned to spend the night on Jan. 22, not to accept the students. The following morning, the divisional security minister Aung Kyaw Moe met the students and warned them to stop their march, as they needed to request permission under the Peaceful Assembly Law. The 400-mile march from Mandalay to Rangoon is part of a revamped campaign against the new National Education Law, which was passed by the Union Parliament in Sept. 2014. Detractors have claimed that the law centralizes control over education and restricts the formation of student bodies. Students and professionals also claimed that the draft was rushed through Parliament without adequate consultation with relevant stakeholders. Passage of the law prompted widespread student and teacher demonstrations in Burma's largest cities. Demonstrations were suspended in November 2014, as members issued an ultimatum that the legislation be amended to reflect the will of students and educators within 60 days. That deadline passed without official action. As protests resumed last week, President Thein Sein urged Burma's Parliament to revisit the National Education Law. On Jan. 22, the Parliament agreed to consider amendments and, according to a press release from the legislature, instructed the Ministry of Education to draw up a draft bill of amendments to the law and pledged to then begin deliberations involving "Each [House of] Parliament, related committees, commissions, departments, and relevant people from organizations and professionals." However, these latest developments were greeted with skepticism by some protest leaders who continue to push for four-party talks between a student-led committee, advocates, lawmakers and government administrators to discuss the controversial legislation. "We are still doubtful that the parliament will implement [proposed changes to the bill]," said Nanda Sint Aung, a member of the Action Committee for Democratic Education, a 15-member coalition formed to push for changes to the legislation. "What if they just fix some small points in the draft and then approve the bill? Our ultimate goal is the four-party talks to discuss the draft in detail, including what we accept and what we don't." As the march entered its sixth day on Sunday, the number of participants grew to more than 1,500 as local supporters, students and Buddhist monks joined protesters. Members of the Young Buddhist Monks association from Chauk Township, Magwe Division, and the Karenni Students Union joined the students from Natogyi Township, Mandalay Division. After hearing that authorities had tried to halt them, about 500 students from Myin Chan University marched to meet their fellow students at Nyaung Bin village. Nearly two-dozen students from neighboring Pakkoko and Nyaung U also joined protesters on Monday. "Some of us are planning to follow the march until they reach Rangoon," said Zu Min Htet, a student from Myin Chan University. Thousands of locals, some with offerings of food and drink, lined the main road of Myin Chan on Sunday to cheer on the students who chanted slogans and sang songs. "We were once students too," said Thein Kyi, a resident of Myin Chan. "Our children are still at school and these youth are also our children. Since they care nothing for their wellbeing but have taken to the road for the future generation's education, we have to cheer them." The march will resume on Tuesday after protesters spend the night in Myin Chan. The post Student Protest March Continues Despite Opposition from Local Officials appeared first on The Irrawaddy. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retrieval of More Than 30 Slain Filipinos Commandos Underway Posted: 25 Jan 2015 10:02 PM PST  Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) forces raise their fists during a show of force inside the camp in Camp Darapanan, Maguindanao province, southern Philippines March 27, 2014. MANILA — Philippine police have recovered at least 21 bodies of the dozens commandos who were mowed down by Muslim rebel gunfire in a far-flung southern village where they moved in over the weekend to hunt down one of southeast Asia’s most-wanted terrorists, officials said Monday. Army-backed police and villagers also helped take 11 wounded members of the national police’s elite Special Action Forces away from the battle scene in and around the village of Tukanalipao in Mamasapano township, where the government suffered its biggest single-day combat loss in many years, officials said. Mayor Tahirudin Benzar Ampatuan told The Associated Press by telephone that village leaders saw the bodies of at least policemen in a clearing following Sunday’s fighting. Many of the dead were stripped to their underwear, with their assault firearms missing. "What they described to me was gruesome," Ampatuan said. The commandos had sneaked into the Muslim rebel community in two groups, but apparently had "misencounter" with members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the main Muslim insurgent group, which signed a peace deal with the government in March and has had a relatively successful cease-fire agreement with government troops in recent years, Ampatuan said. Under the truce, government forces are required to coordinate anti-terror assaults and other law enforcement operations with the Moro rebels to prevent accidental fighting. But the approximately 100 police commandos did not notify the rebels before they arrived in the dark, Moro rebel leader Mohagher Iqbal said. "If somebody barges into your house, what will you do?" Iqbal said by telephone. He said the 11,000-strong Moro group would file a protest over the action of the police commandos, but added the incident was not likely to undermine the peace process, a view shared by Philippine officials. "The peace process will not be affected because we’re not dealing against the MILF here," Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said, referring to the Liberation Front. "We are up against the enemies of the state," Gazmin said, referring to breakaway Muslim rebels, called the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, who also have a presence in Tukanalipao and reportedly helped subdue the outnumbered commandos. Gazmin said the police were trying to arrest Zulkifli bin Hir, a Malaysian terror suspect, and a Filipino bomb-making expert, Abdul Basit Usman. U.S. and Philippine authorities have blamed them for several deadly bombings in the south. Washington has offered up to $5 million reward for the Malaysian’s capture. Ampatuan said the fighting ended when members of a cease-fire committee and foreign truce monitors intervened. The peace pact, signed in March, aims to establish a more powerful and better-funded autonomous region for minority Muslims in the south and end a decades-long rebellion. The conflict has left 150,000 people dead and helped stunt development in the country’s poorest region. The post Retrieval of More Than 30 Slain Filipinos Commandos Underway appeared first on The Irrawaddy. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bangladesh Charges Opposition Chief with Instigating Attack on Bus Posted: 25 Jan 2015 09:39 PM PST  Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Begum Khaleda Zia at a rally in Jan. 2014. (Photo: Andrew Biraj / Reuters) DHAKA — Bangladesh police have formally charged Begum Khaleda Zia, head of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) with instigating a petrol bomb attack on a passenger bus, a senior police official said on Sunday. Police said 29 people suffered burns in the incident on Friday and nine passengers are in a critical condition. The authorities accuse the BNP leader of ordering the attack as part of the party’s campaign to blockade Dhaka to try to force a general election. "She was charged for the first time with instigating such an attack on a passenger bus during the ongoing blockade programme," Habibur Rahman, Superintendent of Polices of Dhaka, told Reuters. One senior leader of the BNP, Rizvi Ahmed, denied the allegations against Khaleda, who is not in custody but still working in her office. The BNP has been blockading Dhaka since Jan. 6 to try to compel the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to hold an election. The party boycotted a vote in 2014. Police say they have arrested scores of BNP activists since the blockade began for various offences connected to the campaign, but the BNP says about 10,000 people have been taken into custody. Bangladesh has been racked by political violence for decades, and the latest crisis erupted on Jan. 5 when demonstrations broke out on the anniversary of last year’s disputed elections. The office of prime minister has been held by Hasina or the BNP’s Khaleda for all but two of the past 23 years and the rivalry between them is bitter. At least 34 people have died in Bangladesh and scores have been injured, most of them in fire bomb attacks, amid rising political unrest fuelled by a standoff between the two of them. The renewed political turmoil could cause a delay in shipments by the country’s $24-billion garment industry, already under pressure after a string of fatal accidents. The opposition called for another 36-hour countrywide strike from Sunday morning to protest against the arrests and "oppression" of its leaders. The United States, the European Union and Britain have voiced concern and urged all Bangladeshi parties to engage in dialogue. Police announced a 500,000 taka (US$6345) reward if anyone can help to identify or hold the culprits who threw the petrol bomb on Friday. The post Bangladesh Charges Opposition Chief with Instigating Attack on Bus appeared first on The Irrawaddy. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Obama Reveals Nuclear Breakthrough on Landmark India Trip Posted: 25 Jan 2015 08:56 PM PST  US President Barack Obama hugs Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, right, after giving their opening statements at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Jan. 25, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) NEW DELHI — In a glow of bonhomie, US President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled plans to unlock billions of dollars in nuclear trade and to deepen defense ties, steps they hope will establish an enduring strategic partnership. The two countries reached an understanding on two issues that, despite a groundbreaking 2006 agreement, had stopped US companies from setting up reactors in India and had become one of the major irritants in bilateral relations. "We are committed to moving toward full implementation," Obama told a joint news conference with Modi. "This is an important step that shows how we can work together to elevate our relationship." The new deal resolved differences over the liability of suppliers to India in the event of a nuclear accident and US demands on tracking the whereabouts of material supplied to the country, US ambassador to India Richard Verma told reporters. "Ultimately it's up to the companies to go forward, but the two governments came to an understanding," he added. Signaling warmth and determination to take ties to a higher level, Modi broke with protocol to meet and bear-hug Obama as he landed in New Delhi, then referred to him as Barack. It was a remarkable spectacle, given that a year ago Modi was persona non grata in Washington and was denied a visa to the United States. Between a working lunch that included kebabs made with lotus stem, figs and spices and an evening banquet where Obama spoke a smattering of Hindi, the two leaders got down to talks. They emerged with a 10-year framework for defense ties and deals on cooperation that included the joint production of drone aircraft and equipment for Lockheed Martin Corp's C-130 military transport plane. Other deals ranged from an Obama-Modi hotline—India's first at a leadership level—to financing initiatives aimed at helping India use renewable energy to lower carbon intensity. But Modi cautioned that work was still needed to create a solid partnership between the world's two largest democracies. "We have to convert a good start into lasting progress. This requires translating our vision into sustained action and concrete achievements," he said, standing next to Obama. On Monday, Obama will be the first US president to attend India's Republic Day parade, an annual show of military might long associated with the anti-Americanism of the Cold War. He will also host a radio show with Modi. His presence at the parade at Modi's personal invitation marks the latest upturn in a roller-coaster bilateral relationship that just a year ago was in tatters. Up to 40,000 security personnel have been deployed for the visit and 15,000 new closed-circuit surveillance cameras have been installed in the capital, according to media reports. New Vitality The United States views India as a vast market and potential counterweight in Asia to a more assertive China, but has frequently been frustrated with the slow pace of New Delhi's economic reforms and unwillingness to side with Washington in international affairs. Elected last May, Modi has injected a new vitality into the economy and foreign relations and, to Washington's delight, has begun pushing back against China across Asia. In a veiled reference to China, the leaders reiterated the "importance of safeguarding maritime security and ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight throughout the region, especially in the South China Sea." They also called for the peaceful resolution of territorial conflicts. Obama will depart slightly early from India to travel to Saudi Arabia following the death of King Abdullah, skipping a planned visit to the Taj Mahal. Like Obama, Modi rose from modest origins to break into a political elite dominated by powerful families. Aides say the two men bonded in Washington in September when Obama took Modi to the memorial of Martin Luther King, whose rights struggle was inspired by India's Mahatma Gandhi. On Sunday, the two leaders talked outside over tea in an elegant garden. Modi, who sold tea on a railway platform as a child, poured a cup for Obama. The "chemistry" they describe is striking because Modi's politics is considerably to the right of Obama's and because he was banned from visiting the United States for nearly a decade after deadly Hindu-Muslim riots in a state he governed. Obama, the first sitting US president to visit India twice, also enjoyed a close friendship with Modi's predecessor Manmohan Singh, who staked his premiership on the controversial nuclear deal that made India the sixth "legitimate" atomic power and marked a high point in Indo-US relations. The deal failed to deliver on a promise of business for US companies because of India's reluctance to shield suppliers from liability, a deviation from international norms that reflects the memory of the Bhopal industrial disaster. The post Obama Reveals Nuclear Breakthrough on Landmark India Trip appeared first on The Irrawaddy. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ‘We Will Have to Do More, Practically and Mentally’ Posted: 25 Jan 2015 04:30 PM PST  Dr. Maung Maung Lay, vice chairman of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry. (Photo: Reuters) Despite much vaunted economic reforms since 2011, some observers have noted that Myanmar's economy is underperforming. In the lead up to national elections slated for late 2015, economists and business leaders have also voiced concerns that possible political instability could hamper economic progress. Dr. Maung Maung Lay, the vice chairman of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI), spoke with The Irrawaddy's Kyaw Hsu Mon on the prospects for growth in a crucial year ahead. Question: Last January, President U Thein Sein said the country was targeting 9.1 percent GDP growth for 2014-15. Do you think this is likely? Answer: President U Thein Sein's statement was optimistic. The facts and figures which he referred to are more favorable than I've seen. [Even] the president's economic advisor U Myint recently said that this economic data might be incorrect. As you know, the government has often politicized data. That's why the government's Central Statistical Organization has now been reconstructed in order to gather quality data. Past data might be incorrect because it was not systematically collected through township offices. If the data collection process is poor, the resultant facts and figures will also be incorrect. We need accurate figures. At the moment, the data collection system is improving and is not so different from that of other organizations like the World Bank or the Asian Development Bank. Q: When do you expect Myanmar will graduate from least developed country (LDC) status? A: We can count the countries that have graduated from LDC status. Some observers have indicated that Myanmar has many requirements to fulfill before it can graduate from LDC status, and that will take time. Some expect it may take at least 5-10 years. If we try our best, dreams will come true. But it's not possible to simply move from LDC status at once. Q: Are factors such as the tax rate, the trade deficit and other aspects of trade policy a major barrier to this? A: It is due to all these factors. We need to improve across all sectors. We still need to improve on a micro and macroeconomic level in our country to develop the economy. Q: Is the UMFCCI acting as an independent body? A: We're now elected by members so it is independent. In the past, we were advocating for the government. Now we not only advocate, we also make claims to the government on what our members want and on the requirements of international standards. We're trying to upgrade our members' capacity and closely follow international economic trends. Q: How do you collaborate with the different government ministries? A: The UMFCCI is currently working with all sectors. Collaboration with government ministries is getting better. They're listening to the UMFCCI's input and suggestions in order to help solve problems. We have a good mutual understanding and are working well together. Q: What do you think of the claim that high tax rates are making it difficult for some businesses to compete with regional competitors? A: The government has recently decreased some taxes for local businesses to encourage production. According to international guidelines the government shouldn't always protect local businesses, but here, the government is protecting some small businesses. It's true that commercial tax rates are still high. People are criticizing the 5 percent commercial tax rate for consumers and manufacturers. However, the government collects less tax compared to other countries. How will the country's infrastructure improve [without higher taxes]? People need to know the advantages of paying tax to the government. Q: Why is Myanmar's trade deficit on the increase? A: Many countries have this kind of trade deficit, but the amount is different. [In Myanmar] imports are higher than exports. We need to negotiate gradually to reduce the trade deficit. But the country is still surviving despite this issue. It's only about a US$2 billion deficit in Myanmar. It's not a serious problem, but some have said so because the country has never reached this level of deficit before. Q: How will the economy fare this year when the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) begins, since there will be more tax-free imported goods flowing into the country? A: The trade deficit will increase this year. The government needs to encourage local entrepreneurs but not provide trade protections that are against World Trade Organization rules. It's difficult to balance exports and imports. Government ministries will have to work together. The AEC should actually mark the end of the beginning for us. Not the beginning of the end. I've warned that it should not be seen as negative for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). More than 80 percent of our businesses are SMEs. What's needed is good corporate governance. Otherwise, we will be overwhelmed by our competitors. The government should also control the rate of inflation next year. We need comprehensive policies. Q: Have the UMFCCI and the military-owned Myanmar Economic Corporation collaborated? A: No we haven't. They are an independent entity. We have invited them for some workshops and business discussions with foreign trading partners, but they rarely attend. Q: Do you agree that Myanmar's Central Bank is not standing up for local businesses? What is your personal opinion? A: The Central Bank has been working under the Ministry of Finance for a long time. Now they are trying to emerge from its shadow. The bank's leading officials are good people. We aren't too critical of them. They are relatively independent compared with the past. I hope [the Central Bank] will gradually improve. Q: Some people are concerned that Myanmar's economy may be impacted by political uncertainty this year. What's your view? A: I don't think it will be impacted by the political situation. People will be trying to win over voters by campaigning hard but they will be more focused on political rather than business issues. Some will pledge to do more in order to be reelected. Almost all countries in the world tend to move cautiously in election years. Whether or not we're ready for the AEC may become a political issue. The next government may face problems [concerning the AEC]. Some officials have indicated they're prepared for the AEC but it will be hard to implement. Even Thailand is still trying to prepare for it. We will have to do more, practically and mentally. This interview originally appeared in the Jan. 2015 issue of The Irrawaddy Magazine. The post 'We Will Have to Do More, Practically and Mentally' appeared first on The Irrawaddy. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ‘I’m Afraid We Won’t Be Able to Sign the Agreement’ Posted: 25 Jan 2015 04:00 PM PST  Kachin Independence Army Deputy Chief of Staff Gen. Gun Maw speaks to journalists in Chiang Mai on Jan. 21. (Photo: Kyaw Kha / The Irrawaddy) The National Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) and Myanmar Peace Center (MPC) met in Chiang Mai, Thailand on Jan. 21. The meeting failed to set a date for a seventh round of talks between ethnic army and government peace negotiators, dashing hopes for the signing of a nationwide ceasefire agreement to be signed on Union Day next month. Gen Gun Maw, deputy chief of staff of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and head of the NCCT, spoke to The Irrawaddy about renewed clashes between the Burma Army and ethnic armed groups, the KIA's reservations about signing a ceasefire agreement at the present stage of negotiations, and reports of illegal logging in Kachin State. Q: President Thein Sein has called for the signing of nationwide ceasefire agreement on Union Day and his position is echoed by Burma Army Commander in Chief Min Aung Hlaing. The NCCT has also pushed for it. Some rebel groups are likely to sign the truce on Feb.12. Will the KIA sign the deal? A: Rather than discussing the KIA on its own, I'd like to talk about the entire NCCT. January is almost over and we are still having discussions. I'm afraid we won't be able to sign the agreement by Feb. 12. Given the circumstances, I'd say it's impossible. Without a seventh round of talks, we can't proceed to the next step. Q: Why has a date for the next round of talks still not been set? A: It is mainly because we could not reach agreement on some topics, including the roadmap outlined in the September meeting. Without reaching a consensus on those topics, we can't set an agenda for the next meeting. We discussed [at the coordination meeting] how we would hold the next meeting and how we can stop the ongoing fighting. Again, we can't just turn a blind eye to the case of the fatal attack on our military academy in November. The next meeting should only be held after this case has been settled in a positive matter, which is why we demanded that it be included on the agenda of the next meeting. Q: We heard that the KIA planned to meet the government at Laiza or Myitkyina to discuss the Burma Army's attack on the KIA military academy, is this correct? A: Previously, the NCCT demanded that talks be held in Myitkyina. However, if there are difficulties, such as transportation problems, preventing the talks from being held in Myitkyina, we are willing to meet anywhere—even at the Myanmar Peace Center. We've also demanded that all five ethnic armed groups who had cadets killed in the attack to be allowed to attend the meeting. Q: Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing said in a recent interview with Channel News Asia that peace depended on the will of ethnic armed groups. What is the NCCT's response? A: All parties want to achieve peace. But the definition of peace differs from one party to another. NCCT's definition of peace is not just ending conflicts between armed groups, but ensuring a sense of security across the country. That's why we are trying to draw up a comprehensive nationwide ceasefire accord. What the Burma Army commander-in-chief said can be interpreted in different ways, but in fact, peace is the concern of all. Both the government and ethnic armed groups have responsibility. It is also important that the entire nation takes part in the process. I'd like to say that everyone is responsible. Q: Information Minister Ye Htut wrote on Facebook a few days ago that a group within the KIA does not want a ceasefire and is hindering the peace talks. What do you say in response to that? A: It may be his personal view. We are concerned that people may see it as the President's view, as he is the presidential spokesman. But we told MPC at the meeting that we view it as [Ye Htut's] personal view only. Q: What do you want to say about recent clashes in northern Shan State and Hpakant? A: Our position is that we need to avoid firing in case of an unexpected encounter. But, we see that [the Burma Army] apparently wants to win conflicts through these unexpected encounters. It is not a good sign. Q: Both the KIA the Burma Army have formed groups to meet and parley in case of unexpected clashes. But those groups are not useful in practice. Why? A: They are not use because they are not led by high-ranking officials and are not formed on a large scale. Such groups are only formed between the Northern Command of the Burma Army and the KIA. They cannot monitor the fighting in other places, including northern Shan State. Q: What do you have to say about recent reports of illegal logging in Kachin State? A: We don't know about the situation in detail because the area where they were arrested is controlled by militia groups. Those militia groups are under the direct control of the Northern Command. It is however said that the loggers were holding permits issued by us. But, those permits are not for the region where the loggers were found, only for the region under our control. To get into that region, the loggers may have to come through checkpoints when they cross the border. Many are crossing the border into Burma from China. We are not obliged to give a comment; we only want to say that the region where the loggers were arrested was not under our control. The post 'I'm Afraid We Won't Be Able to Sign the Agreement' appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
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