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Friday, December 18, 2015

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Calls for More Female Voices in Burma’s Peace Process
Authorities to Investigate ‘Illegal Import’ of Hpakant Trucks, Machinery
After Much Deliberation, Investment Law Approved by Parliament
Suu Kyi: No Plans to Sack Workers in Public Sector Overhaul Plan
Reporter Guilty of Praying for Persecuted Journalists Illegally
Rights Group Calls for Better Protection of Migrant Workers in Thailand
NLD, Ethnic Armed Groups Meet to Hash Out Peace Framework
Activists Get Two Years for Role in Shwepyithar Industrial Strikes
Exhibition Offers Sounds, Sights From the Golden Triangle
China Warns of Widespread Smog, Issues Second ‘Red Alert’
Cambodian Garment Makers Ask Government to Quash Strike
Japan, Indonesia Boost Security Ties, Eye Defense Equipment Transfers

Calls for More Female Voices in Burma’s Peace Process

Posted: 18 Dec 2015 04:57 AM PST

Government chief negotiator Minister Aung Min shakes hands with Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) leader Nai Hong Sar as they exchange the draft nationwide ceasefire text on March 31. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy)

RANGOON — As Burma looks next month toward the start of a political dialogue aimed at ending decades of civil war, women's rights activists this week reiterated calls for the inclusion of more female voices in the process.

In the lead-up to those talks, female participation in peace negotiations has been low and their needs have not been adequately addressed or have been left off the agenda completely, according to three women who have been involved.

Doi Bu, a sitting ethnic Kachin lawmaker, on Thursday shared how she had to take the initiative in order to participate in the peace process, requesting to be on the parliamentary Ethnic Affairs and Peace Committee, whose members are also part of the national-level Union Peacemaking Working Committee (UWPC).

As a member of the UWPC, she later requested to observe peace talks and in 2012 was able to sit in on the ceasefire signing between the government and the Pa-O National Organization (PNO), as well as observing peace talks with the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) in Laiza, Kachin State.

Raising the issue of greater women's inclusion, however, resulted in her later being excluded from peace negotiations, she claimed, speaking at a discussion on women's participation in the peace process, hosted by the Alliance for Gender Inclusion in the Peace Process and the Swedish Embassy.

"We still need to urge more inclusion of women. … We have found that there is more to be done to address the concerns of women. Rather than being excluded for having different views, [more female representation would] produce more fruitful discussion of different views," Doi Bu said.

Nang Raw Zakhung, deputy director of the Nyein Foundation, recounted her experience having served as a technical advisor for the KIO and Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT), roles that put her in rarified air as women in Burma go: Over the course of nine meetings between government negotiators and their NCCT counterparts, there were two women advisors from the government-affiliated Myanmar Peace Center (MPC) and two from the NCCT.

Advocates of greater women's participation want to see that number much higher going forward and, according to Nang Raw Zakhung, pushed unsuccessfully to have 30 percent female representation included in the text of the nationwide ceasefire agreement, in reference to the coming political dialogue.

In the end, the text reads merely: "We shall include a reasonable number/ratio of women representatives in the political dialogue process."

"[The ratio] of women participating in the NCA [nationwide ceasefire agreement negotiations] was frustrating. It's more frustrating for someone who can't participate in the discussion," said Nang Raw Zakhung, an ethnic Kachin peace facilitator, as a member of Thursday's panel.

A 30 percent figure is included in the text of the framework for political dialogue finalized this week, but that proportional benchmark is not mandatory and is rather a goal that participants should strive for.

Whatever percentage is ultimately arrived at, it is almost certain to be an improvement over women's representation to date.

Among the leadership of the ethnic armed organizations, only one woman, Saw Mra Razar Lin, has been part of the peace talks since the creation of the NCCT, a grouping of 16 ethnic armed groups.

With the nationwide ceasefire's signing on Oct. 15, a newly formed Union Political Dialogue Joint Committee to draft the framework for the talks in January fared little better in terms of female representation: Out of 48 members, only three women were included representing political parties and ethnic armed groups, while there were no women on the government side of the tripartite committee.

Less impress still, there are no women among the 26 members of the Union-level Joint Monitoring Committee, likewise a tripartite body formed last month.

Nang Raw Zakhung said there are still hopes that women can do better than this on the six state-level monitoring committees still to be set up.

Asked why women should be included in peace negotiations, and in what ways the process might benefit from their involvement, Mi Kun Chan Non of the Mon Women's Network, recalled her experience as an observer at a meeting between the New Mon State Party (NMSP) and the MPC. It was there that a female representative from the KIO initiated a fruitful discussion after the formal meeting, focusing on the situation of children in conflict-wracked Kachin State, said Mi Kun Chan Non, the third panelist for Thursday's discussion.

Citing this as an example, she said women had different perspectives and priorities compared with men, which could prove helpful in discussions about conflict and peace.

Nang Raw Zakhung echoed the sentiment, saying women's views and their greater propensity toward empathy might benefit the difficult negotiations to come in what is expected to be a years-long, grueling political dialogue.

"Our country's leaders should know these differences. We are not saying women are better, but we have different skills and for the state, it should make use of women's skills effectively."

Nang Raw Zakhung added that women were also the main victims of armed conflict, and often suffered the brunt of the consequences in the aftermath of war.

"As we are those who suffer the consequences of it, we are also those who would like to think more about peace. That's why women's strengths, views and approval should be sought."

The post Calls for More Female Voices in Burma's Peace Process appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Authorities to Investigate ‘Illegal Import’ of Hpakant Trucks, Machinery

Posted: 18 Dec 2015 04:18 AM PST

Trucks are seen at a mine dump in Hpakant, Kachin State. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters)

MANDALAY — The government says it is investigating the possible illegal import of heavy machinery from China to work in the mines of Kachin State, following reports that jade production in Kachin State had ramped up in recent months due to uncertainty about the next government's intentions toward the industry.

Over recent weeks, reports of a rise in the number of dump trucks seen in Hpakant have spread over social media, with locals urging the government to intervene.

On Friday, state-run newspapers reported that the import of trucks and heavy machinery through the Kan Pai Tee border checkpoint would be suspended over the course of the investigation, at the same time asserting that all vehicles hitherto imported through the border were brought in legally.

According to Tin Ye Win, the director-general of the Department of Transport, 880 dump trucks and earthmoving vehicles were legally imported through the checkpoint in recent months and permitted to drive through to the Kachin capital of Myitkyina.

In another turn, Friday's report also claimed that the Ministry of Commerce had seized 700 illegally imported vehicles in Kachin State, but without mentioning the type of vehicles or whether they were imported to work in Hpakant's jade mines.

Concerns over the the ramp-up of jade production have been raised in recent weeks, with villagers claiming the dumping of mine tailings is leaving a serious ecological impact in nearby villages and raising the risk of landslides and floods.

Last week, residents of five villages around Hpakant established a roadblock to stop dump trucks from taking mine waste away from the jade mine site. Some locals, claimed to be the leaders of the blockade, were detained by a group of men claiming to be members of the Kachin Independence Army on Monday, and have not been heard from since.

In late November, a deadly landslide claimed the lives of at least 114 prospectors working to find jade residue in a mine site. The government has said it will shortly announce plans to address longstanding safety concerns in the Hpakant mines.

The post Authorities to Investigate 'Illegal Import' of Hpakant Trucks, Machinery appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

After Much Deliberation, Investment Law Approved by Parliament

Posted: 18 Dec 2015 03:49 AM PST

The Union Parliament has approved the country's long-delayed update to foreign investment laws. (Photo: Kim Hong-Ji / Reuters)

RANGOON — After months of deliberation, Burma's new investment law was approved by a joint sitting of Parliament on Thursday, replacing interim laws passed earlier in the term of President Thein Sein.

The law, which combines the 2012 Foreign Investment Law and the 2013 Myanmar Citizens Investment Law, alters the mandate of the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) and adds some nominal human rights protections to future foreign investment projects, among other changes.

"The amendments allow more state and regional involvement in investment. They don't change the percentage of joint venture companies set out in the Foreign Investment Law," said Khin Shwe, an outgoing Upper House lawmaker and chairman of the Zaykabar Group of Companies, referring to legal requirements giving local partners a majority stake in joint ventures with foreign firms.

Under the changes approved on Thursday, the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) is now authorized to delegate, pending national approval, investment decisions to divisional and state authorities. There will also be more coordination between regional and Union governments on investment decisions.

"The Myanmar Investment Commission works at the national level now, but starting next year, state and regional governments will also be able to make investment decisions. That's the major change to the law," Khin Shwe told The Irrawaddy.

Khine Maung Yi, a Lower House lawmaker, said that although differences of opinion between the Lower and Upper houses had been resolved, there were other important economic bills that needed the approval of Naypyidaw before the new parliament is seated at the end of January.

"The two amendment bills were approved, but the most important task in the coming days will be to enact the Condominium Law and the Special Goods Law," he said.

Though the bill is expected to attract more international investors to the country, Hlaing Tharyar Industrial Zone chairman Myat Thin Aung complained that the bill gave preferential treatment to foreign operators, noting that prospective local partners were not given the same five-year tax exemption provisions under the law.

"We thought that the Myanmar Citizens Investment Law would provide similar domestic benefits to companies, but that didn't seem to be the case," he said. "President U Thein Sein pledged that tax exemption would be available to small- and medium-size enterprises whose net income is up to 30 million kyats (US$23,010) per year. In reality, this only applies to home industries."

Aung Naing Oo, director-general of the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration, told reporters in September that the investment law addressed human rights concerns raised by non-governmental organizations in the past.

The post After Much Deliberation, Investment Law Approved by Parliament appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Suu Kyi: No Plans to Sack Workers in Public Sector Overhaul Plan

Posted: 18 Dec 2015 02:22 AM PST

Aung San Suu Kyi addresses Thursday's meeting in Naypyidaw. (NLD Chairperson's Office / Facebook)

RANGOON — National League for Democracy (NLD) leader Aung San Suu Kyi has sought to assuage concerns over her plans to reform Burma's creaking bureaucracy, promising that those aligned with the military or the current government would not be discriminated against by her administration.

The NLD won a landslide victory in the Nov. 8 general election, and is all but certain to form a government at the end of March after securing a majority in both houses of Union Parliament. In its campaign manifesto, the party pledged to streamline the 36 ministries in order to "decrease expenditure and establish a lean and efficient government."

There are more than 90 ministers and deputy ministers under the current administrative arrangements of the Thein Sein government, most of whom are retired military personnel. The 2008 Constitution mandates that the commander-in-chief of the Burma Armed Forces is responsible for the appointment of the Border Affairs, Home Affairs and Defense ministries.

At a Thursday meeting in Naypyidaw—attended by Union Parliament speaker Shwe Mann, parliamentary officials, NLD MPs and a number of government employees—Suu Kyi sought to calm the nerves of senior ministry bureaucrats, while warning that those working in the public sector would need to improve their performance.

"Employees do not need to be worried," she said. "Slashing the workforce is not our policy. Even if you are incompetent, we will help you improve. Don't be afraid of NLD lawmakers, as they won because of your votes."

Flagging the merger of some ministries, Suu Kyi added that government workers would be treated fairly regardless their past ties to the military or the previous government led by the Union Solidarity and Development Party."

"If you want opportunity, you have to take responsibility, too. There will be no discrimination. Government employees don't need to be afraid of us," she said.

The post Suu Kyi: No Plans to Sack Workers in Public Sector Overhaul Plan appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Reporter Guilty of Praying for Persecuted Journalists Illegally

Posted: 18 Dec 2015 02:13 AM PST

Reporter Shwe Hmone holds up a T-shirt that reads 'Stop Killing Press' following her sentencing in Rangoon on Friday. (Photo: Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy)

RANGOON — A Rangoon court on Friday sentenced Shwe Hmone, a senior reporter for a local news journal, to a 15-day prison term or 10,000 kyats (US$7.70) fine for her involvement in a public prayer event held for persecuted journalists late last year.

She was convicted under Article 19 of the Peaceful Assembly Law after charges were brought in June for her participation in a demonstration on Nov. 2, 2014, to mark International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists. About 150 people gathered at a pagoda in Rangoon to pray for the wellbeing of Burmese journalists subjected to violence or imprisonment.

Organizers sought local authorities' permission to hold the event, but were only granted approval to gather at a sports field in Tamwe Township, with the activists then deciding to defy the restriction.

Shwe Hmone, who works for the Thamaga News Journal, told The Irrawaddy that though she would have opted to serve the short prison stint, her media colleagues instead paid the financial penalty at the courthouse on Friday.

"I believe I am not guilty. We don't need permission to pray at a pagoda from the authorities. It is clear that they intentionally persecuted me because I am a media worker," she said.

Shwe Hmone is just the latest of several journalists to face persecution or criminal prosecution in recent years, most after their reporting offended people or institutions in positions of power.

In July of last year, a Pakokku Township court sentenced four journalists and the CEO of the Unity weekly journal to 10 years' imprisonment with hard labor under the State Secrets Act, after reporting allegations that a Burma Army facility in Magwe Division was being used to manufacture chemical weapons. A divisional court later reduced the sentences of the five men from 10 to seven years, following an appeal by the defendants.

About three months later, the freelance journalist Aung Kyaw Naing, also known as Par Gyi, was shot dead after being apprehended by the Burma Army, ostensibly under suspicion of affiliation with a Karen ethnic rebel group operating in Mon State, where he was killed.

In April of this year, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) ranked Burma the world's ninth most censored country.

"There were many unfair cases against journalists who were detained, charged, and jailed in the last year but the real culprits of the cases are not yet held accountable," Shwe Hmone said Friday, adding that her defense team would file an appeal in the coming days.

The post Reporter Guilty of Praying for Persecuted Journalists Illegally appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Rights Group Calls for Better Protection of Migrant Workers in Thailand

Posted: 18 Dec 2015 12:23 AM PST

A group of labor activists and migrant workers pose for a photograph during a Friday march in Mahachai to mark on International Migrant Day. (Photo: Migrant Worker Rights Network / Facebook)

CHIANG MAI, Thailand — A Thai-based rights group has marked International Migrants Day on Friday by calling on the governments of Thailand and its regional neighbors to guarantee better conditions for the estimated four million migrant workers in the country.

An estimated three million migrant workers in Thailand are Burmese nationals, according to the Migrant Worker Rights Network (MWRN), which was founded in 2009 by Burmese expatriates seeking to improve working conditions in Thailand's precarious migrant labor market. The rest largely hail from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

A statement released by MWRN on Friday called on regional governments to implement more transparent policies on living and working permissions for migrants in Thailand, as well as adopting a system for safer migration routes and programs to combat human trafficking.

British labor rights activist Andy Hall, MWRN's international affairs adviser, told The Irrawaddy on Friday that two of the biggest issues facing migrant workers in Thailand are the uncertainty of the legal framework and the unscrupulous behavior of intermediaries brokering jobs for prospective migrants.

"The main problem now is that a lack of transparent policy between Thailand and countries of origin such as Burma and Cambodia. They have no long-term policy. And there are a lot of problems with the brokers and agencies," said Hall.

Migrants are typically permitted to work in Thailand for four to six years. According to an MWRN statement, many hundreds of thousands of migrants are facing the imminent expiry of their work permits and will choose to stay on as undocumented workers rather than pay exorbitant fees to travel to their home countries and renew their permissions.

Migrant workers in this position are often unaware of their rights and are vulnerable to exploitation or extortion by brokers, agents and local authorities, said Hall.

The MWRN has appealed to Thailand and its neighbors to implement new rules to allow in-country renewal of work permits without the need for brokers or employment agencies to mediate the process.

According to the MWRN's Friday statement, the majority of migrant workers in the country arrived without following any formal processes arranged between their country of origin and Thailand. Workers were often compelled to pay through brokerages several times the cost of required identification documents to organize their passage abroad.

In Burma's case, the government fixed the price of a temporary passport at 550 baht (US$15.20), with their Thai counterparts charging 500 baht ($13.85) for a two-year visa. Employment agencies and brokers usually charge between 5,000 and 9,000 baht ($139-$249) to secure the documents, which allow them to become documented workers under Thailand's national verification process.

"As a result, these millions of Burmese migrants have over the decades faced various serious challenges such as exploitation by brokers and have also too often become victims of human trafficking due to a risky irregular status," it said.

Rights groups estimate approximately 1.7 million migrant workers from Burma have completed the national verification process and hold a temporary passport.

Andy Hall said that the MWRN had worked to educate migrant workers about their rights and advocate for improved working conditions in the industries they dominate, but safety problems and exploitation were entrenched problems.

"There are still a lot of problems in their workplaces, for example diseases and accidents," he said. "There are a lot of construction accidents. These are problems and the migrants don’t get compensation."

A public march and information seminar organized by MWRN on Friday saw representatives from other rights groups and Thailand's Ministry of Labour descend on the port town Mahachai, a port town near Bangkok home to a large community of Burmese migrants.

The post Rights Group Calls for Better Protection of Migrant Workers in Thailand appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

NLD, Ethnic Armed Groups Meet to Hash Out Peace Framework

Posted: 17 Dec 2015 11:39 PM PST

Aung San Suu Kyi and a delegation of nationwide ceasefire agreement signatories after a meeting in Naypyidaw on Dec. 17, 2015 (Photo: Facebook / Center for Development and Ethnic Studies)

At a meeting on Thursday, National League for Democracy (NLD) chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi revealed to signatories of Burma's so-called "nationwide" ceasefire agreement why she opted not to sign the contentious pact and explained her plans for advancing the country's peace process.

The opposition leader, whose party won a landslide victory in Burma's Nov. 8 general election, hosted leaders from the Karen National Union (KNU), Chin National Front (CNF), Pa-O National Organization (PNO), Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) and All Burma Students Democratic Front (ABSDF), among other groups, at Suu Kyi's rule of law office in the capital Naypyidaw.

"Aung San Suu Kyi told us she wants to avoid additional disunity between ethnic armed signatories and non-signatories," said KNU secretary Pado Kwe Htoo Win, adding that although Suu Kyi agreed with the ceasefire text, which was drafted by ethnic armed groups and the government, she wanted all ethnic groups to be involved in efforts to resolve ethnic conflict.

So far only eight ethnic armed groups have signed the agreement, which was inked on Oct. 15. Several others have abstained, while some ethnic rebel armies have been shut out by the government.

Pado Kwe Htoo Win also said Suu Kyi "appreciates our political dialogue framework because it makes it easier to accommodate changes."

He said the framework for political dialogue was based on different versions drawn up by participants of the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee, which signed off on a draft on Tuesday before handing it over to President Thein Sein on Wednesday for approval.

The NLD has also approved the text, and the dialogue is expected to begin in the coming weeks.

"And if necessary, we can change some of the text under the NLD government," Pado Kwe Htoo Win said, referring to questions that were raised by some framework observers who are wary of proceeding with talks without having the consent of non-signatory ethnic armed groups.

Some of these groups are still engaged in fighting with the Burma Army in the country's north. However, the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), a coalition of ethnic armed groups, said recently that they would collaborate with the new government to achieve peace.

The nationwide ceasefire text stipulates that a framework for political dialogue must be drafted within 60 days of signing the agreement—which the committee has done—and that this dialogue must commence within 90s days. Talks are slated to start in January, under the outgoing government.

It is as yet unknown when there will be another such meeting between the NLD and ethnic armed groups, but Pado Kwe Htoo Win said ethnic stakeholders are ready to collaborate with the new government in its peacebuilding efforts.

The post NLD, Ethnic Armed Groups Meet to Hash Out Peace Framework appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Activists Get Two Years for Role in Shwepyithar Industrial Strikes

Posted: 17 Dec 2015 11:31 PM PST

Thu Zaw Kyi and Naing Zaw Kyi arrive at the Yankin Township Court in Rangoon on Dec. 17, 2015. (Photo: Facebook / ThuZaw)

RANGOON — A pair of activists were sentenced to two years in prison with hard labor on Thursday in connection with labor strikes at Rangoon's Shwepyithar Industrial Zone earlier this year.

The two brothers, Thu Zaw Kyi Win and Naing Zaw Kyi Win, were arrested on charges of instigating the strikes for more pay in the Shwepyithar Industrial Zone in March, after the Rangoon Division government's attempt to negotiate with the picketing laborers ended in clashes between police, vigilantes and the workers that resulted in some injuries.

The two were charged under Article 505(b) of the Burmese Penal Code, covering behavior with "intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public or to any section of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offense against the state or against public tranquility." The article carries with it a maximum sentence of two years' imprisonment.

The judge in Yankin Township ruled Thursday that the two men's period of detention while awaiting the verdict, more than nine months, be deducted from their term of imprisonment.

At least 10 labor rights activists and workers who participated in the strikes are facing trial under a variety of charges.

At its height in February, thousands of workers in the industrial zone had staged strikes against their foreign-owned employers, demanding higher wages.

The violent confrontation that led to the breakup of one such strike on March 4 was notable for the way in which police were aided by vigilantes wearing red armbands marked with the word "duty," a scene that would repeat itself a day later in Rangoon to quell a protest against Burma's controversial National Education Law.

The post Activists Get Two Years for Role in Shwepyithar Industrial Strikes appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Exhibition Offers Sounds, Sights From the Golden Triangle

Posted: 17 Dec 2015 10:03 PM PST

A selection of headgear of the ethnic Akha. There are more than 30 Akha sub-groups who, while holding similar worldviews and cultural practices, distinguish themselves through their unique styles of dress. (Photo: Sam Cartmell / The Irrawaddy)

CHIANG MAI, Thailand — It's the culmination of Victoria Vorreiter's 10 years documenting ethnic minority music and culture in the region where Burma, Thailand, China and Laos meet—a new exhibition titled "Cultural Crossroads of the Golden Triangle," now showing at Chiang Mai University in northern Thailand.

Vorreiter, a classically trained violinist, was originally drawn to the unique music emanating from the highlands of Southeast Asia. She was fascinated with how traditional music of the region encapsulated all aspects of the people's lived experiences and served as a vessel to transfer oral history from one generation to another. "I was interested in documenting the traditional music, which goes beyond the music that we know in the West, because being peoples who have an oral heritage, [their music] connects the very first ancestors to the present generation," she tells The Irrawaddy.

"In this exhibit I've extended the musical traditions into the way that people dress and their spiritual beliefs," says Vorreiter, adding: "The title 'Cultural Crossroads of the Golden Triangle' represents the mixture of all these different aspects." In addition to photographs, the exhibition features displays of textiles, musical instruments and other cultural objects.

Ethnographic video filmed by Vorreiter will also be screened over the duration of the exhibition. Recognizing that moving images and sound together are a powerful tool for sharing culture, Vorreiter says the videos "give you a sense of the people as they live, and as they celebrate, and as they communicate with one another through music and through ritual."

"Cultural Crossroads of the Golden Triangle" will be on display at Chiang Mai University's Uniserv Center through Dec. 21 during the "Communication/Culture and Sustainable Development Goals" conference hosted by the Regional Center for Social Science and Sustainable Development. More of Vorreiter's photographs and ethnographic recordings can be found at her website, Tribal Music Asia.

The post Exhibition Offers Sounds, Sights From the Golden Triangle appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

China Warns of Widespread Smog, Issues Second ‘Red Alert’

Posted: 17 Dec 2015 09:57 PM PST

An electric car is parked next to a street as a bicycle travels past, amid heavy smog, after the city issued its first ever "red alert" for air pollution in Beijing on Dec. 9, 2015. (Photo: Reuters)

BEIJING — China warned residents across a large part of northern China on Friday to prepare for a wave of choking smog arriving over the weekend, the worst of which is expected over th3e capital Beijing, prompting the city to issue its second ever "red alert."

The National Meteorological Center said the smog would stretch from Xian, home to the Terracotta Warriors, across part of central China, through Beijing and up into Shenyang and Harbin in China's frigid northeast.

The air pollution will begin rolling in from about Saturday evening and last until Tuesday, with visibility in the worst affected areas such as Beijing likely to fall to less than one kilometer (0.6 miles), it said.

In Beijing and parts of Hebei province, which surrounds the capital, the pollution index will probably exceed 500, it said. At levels higher than 300, residents are encouraged to remain indoors, according to government guidelines.

The Beijing city government issued its first "red alert" last week following criticism that previous bouts of smog had failed to trigger the highest warning level.

A red alert is triggered when the government believes air quality will surpass a level of 200 on an air quality index that measures various pollutants for at least three days. The US government deems a level of more than 200 "very unhealthy."

In Beijing, a red alert means around half the vehicles are removed from the roads with an odd-even license plate system enforced, schools are recommended to close and outdoor construction banned.

Beijing is not the only city to have a colored alert system, and the restrictions rolled out in the most severe cases are broadly similar.

Beijing's neighboring city of Tianjin also aims to remove about half of all cars from the road in the event of a red alert.

Shenyang said it was issuing an orange warning for the weekend, meaning it recommended people not spend too much time outdoors, while the Harbin government said it expected generally clear skies over the coming days with some smog spells.

After decades of unbridled economic growth, China's leadership has vowed to crack down on severe levels of air, water and soil pollution, including the heavy smog that often blankets major cities.

Beijing's second red alert comes after a landmark climate agreement was reached in Paris earlier this month, setting a course to move away from a fossil fuel-driven economy within decades in a bid to arrest global warming.

City residents have previously criticized authorities for being too slow to issue red alerts for heavy smog, which often exceeds hazardous levels on pollution indices.

Environmental Protection Minister Chen Jining vowed this month to punish agencies and officials for any failure to implement a pollution emergency response plan quickly, the state-run Global Times tabloid said.

Many cities around China suffer from high levels of pollution, with Shanghai schools banning outdoor activities and authorities limiting work at construction sites and factories earlier this week.

The post China Warns of Widespread Smog, Issues Second 'Red Alert' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Cambodian Garment Makers Ask Government to Quash Strike

Posted: 17 Dec 2015 09:22 PM PST

Garment workers on their lunch break in Phnom Penh, Oct. 8. (Photo: Samrang Pring / Reuters)

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Garment factory owners in Cambodia asked the government on Thursday to help stop a strike by workers for higher wages, saying the labor action is damaging the investment climate for the industry, the country's main source of exports.

The Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia made the appeal after workers in eastern Svay Rieng province went on strike Wednesday to boost their monthly wage to US$148. The factory owners said the strikers caused injuries and serious property damage, but the provincial governor said the damage was minor and limited to one factory.

Gov. Chieng Om said the strike ended Thursday when workers agreed to wait for the government's response. He said the number of strikers was less than the 30,000 claimed by union leaders.

In an open letter to Prime Minister Hun Sen, the factory owners said violent strikes "severely affect the investors' feeling and their long-term investment vision."

They said that on Thursday, all production in the Manhattan Special Economic Zone where the main strike action occurred was "completely stopped, causing millions of dollars in losses." However, Chieng Om said most factories were not shut by the strikers, but were closed for the sake of security, with workers just going home.

Wages are a volatile issue in Cambodia, where about 700,000 people are employed in more than 700 garment and shoe factories. In 2014, the Southeast Asian country shipped about $6 billion worth of products to the United States and Europe. Unions sought an increase in the minimum monthly wage to $160 in 2016, but most settled for $140.

Factory workers in Cambodia are generally better organized and more militant than in other low-cost manufacturing countries, and also are loosely allied with the political opposition. Aggressive labor strikes around the capital, Phnom Penh, in 2014 were suppressed with deadly force and led to a crackdown on government opponents.

The post Cambodian Garment Makers Ask Government to Quash Strike appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Japan, Indonesia Boost Security Ties, Eye Defense Equipment Transfers

Posted: 17 Dec 2015 08:45 PM PST

Regional leaders gather for a family photo with US President Barack Obama at the Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur on Nov. 21. (Photo: Jonathan Ernst / Reuters)

TOKYO — Japan and Indonesia will strengthen their security cooperation and begin talks on transfers of defense equipment, their foreign and defense ministers said on Thursday, as China's maritime expansion leads its neighbors to forge closer ties.

China's reclamation work and building of airfields on artificial islands in the Spratly archipelago have alarmed the region and raised concerns that Beijing is extending its military reach deep into maritime Southeast Asia.

Thursday's agreement between Japan and Indonesia comes days after Tokyo reached an agreement with India on the legal framework for transfers of defense equipment and technology.

"As the security environment in the region gets tougher, we've confirmed in today's meeting that we will fortify cooperation with Indonesia, a core Asean member, in the fields of security and defense," Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said.

Kishida made the comment at a joint news conference after a meeting of the two nations' foreign and defense ministers. Indonesia is the largest member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in terms of economy and population.

China has overlapping claims with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei in the South China Sea, through which US$5 trillion in sea-borne trade passes every year.

For its part, Japan has been mired in a territorial spat with China over a group of tiny, uninhabited islets in the East China Sea.

Japan and Indonesia agreed at Thursday's meeting that the South China Sea issue should be resolved through dialogue.

Indonesian Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said he intended to work with China to improve the situation.

"I believe China's stance is not as hardline as before … We intend to proceed with talks with countries including China on such matters as joint training and joint patrols in the South China Sea," the minister said through an interpreter.

The post Japan, Indonesia Boost Security Ties, Eye Defense Equipment Transfers appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

National News

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Daw Aung San Suu Kyi meets eight ceasefire signatories
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Military MP calls for new terms on ‘cheap’ land leases
MP payouts under fire
Pyin Oo Lwin flower festival draws tens of thousands
Hope for unpaid wages drives repatriated fishermen
Guardians of the sacred cavern

Armed group embroiled in illegal housing scam

Posted: 17 Dec 2015 02:30 PM PST

People duped into buying government-owned land beside the Yangon-Mandalay Highway yesterday urged police to take action against those responsible, shortly after the authorities moved in and evicted thousands from the Hlegu site.

Hunt ramps up in Yangon and Nay Pyi Taw for police officers’ attackers

Posted: 17 Dec 2015 02:30 PM PST

The country's largest police forces have been mobilised to catch a gang accused of stabbing three officers in Nay Pyi Taw in the early hours of December 15. Police in the capital are combing several townships, while Yangon police have also been alerted, after reports the suspects might have fled there.

Civil societies call for more space at table

Posted: 17 Dec 2015 02:30 PM PST

Civil society organisations have called for more representation around the negotiating table when the government and ethnic armed groups launch the next stage of the peace process in early January.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi meets eight ceasefire signatories

Posted: 17 Dec 2015 02:30 PM PST

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi yesterday reassured the eight ceasefire signatories that her party supports the peace process even if it didn't endorse the accord as a witness or send a representative to the signing ceremony.

Prison doctor summoned to provide medical evidence in activist’s trial

Posted: 17 Dec 2015 02:30 PM PST

The court yesterday rejected a request to release an activist on freedom of expression grounds, but did not eclipse the possibility of medical bail.

Military MP calls for new terms on ‘cheap’ land leases

Posted: 17 Dec 2015 02:30 PM PST

US$54 a year for prime space in a high-end shopping centre; $3850 a year for a 553-acre golf course; $4625 a year for a hotel on 1.6 acres of land: These are just some of the cut-price rates for state-owned land that have been revealed to the regional parliament in Mandalay.

MP payouts under fire

Posted: 17 Dec 2015 02:30 PM PST

News that outgoing MPs who lost their seats in last month's election will be paid up to K5 million as a "payment for service" has aroused a storm, with some politicians saying the country cannot afford it.

Pyin Oo Lwin flower festival draws tens of thousands

Posted: 17 Dec 2015 02:30 PM PST

Exotic blooms from China and Thailand will help attract up to 90,000 visitors to Pyin Oo Lwin's 10th Flower Festival, organisers hope.

Hope for unpaid wages drives repatriated fishermen

Posted: 17 Dec 2015 02:30 PM PST

Rather than retributive justice, a desire to get their unpaid dues drove 13 Myanmar fishermen back to the site of the crime to provide testimony against captors who had for years enslaved them, they said.

Guardians of the sacred cavern

Posted: 17 Dec 2015 02:30 PM PST

Despite blinking lights hanging from the stalactites and neon bulbs illuminating the Buddha images placed in every cavity, it takes a little while for the human eye to adjust inside the sacred cavern complex at Hten San, in southern Shan State's Hopong township.

Thursday, December 17, 2015

The Irrawaddy Magazine

64-Year-Old Man Stabbed to Death over Parking Dispute in Rangoon
‘Penis Poet’ Slapped with Fresh Charges
Lower House Approves Fast-Tracking of By-Elections
Burma’s Rice Market in a Tight Spot, Sources Say
Hpakant Locals Allege KIA Detention of Jade Mine Protesters
TNLA Claims Govt Uses Helicopter Gunships in Latest Clashes
Scenes From Southern Shan State
Japan’s Asylum Applications Exceed 2014 Level by End-Oct.
US Seeks Answers in Case of Missing Laos Activist
Vietnam Builds Military Muscle to Face China

64-Year-Old Man Stabbed to Death over Parking Dispute in Rangoon

Posted: 17 Dec 2015 04:39 AM PST

Lines of cars seen stuck in a traffic jam along Alan Pya road in Rangoon, July 3, 2013. (Photo: Reuters)

RANGOON — A 64-year-old man was stabbed to death in downtown Rangoon on Wednesday evening following what witnesses said was a dispute over a parking space.

Soe Hlaing had attempted to break up a physical altercation involving his son and another man on Hledan Street over a parking dispute when he was stabbed in the chest, according to witnesses. He was taken to Rangoon General Hospital at around 7:40 pm on Wednesday but died in transit.

The victim's son, Hlaing Win Htun, told The Irrawaddy that similar quarrels had occurred in the past but had not escalated.

"The problem should not be solved this way no matter how heated the argument gets," he said.

The incident has sparked a debate about Rangoon's haphazard urban planning controls, with at least two experts reiterating calls for local authorities to urgently address the city's rapid and largely unregulated urbanization.

Rangoon-based urban planning expert Than Moe told The Irrawaddy that similar incidents could reoccur if local authorities continue to allow building permits for high-density structures in Rangoon's already congested downtown, without appropriate planning and control measures.

"Rangoon's problem over car parking space could be relieved by implementing multistory car parking buildings," Than Moe said.

"But, as far as I know, projects that focus on benefits for residents in Rangoon are very rare."

The number of vehicles on the streets of the commercial capital has increased significantly since the beginning of economic reforms in 2011. According to Than Moe, there are an estimated 400,000 registered vehicles on Rangoon's roads.

Local architect Maw Lin said a fundamental issue was a lack of systematic urban planning controls.

"As long as they don't care where developments are allowed, such incidents will happen again in future," he said.

In December 2014, an international forum on the role of heritage in sustainable development was held in Rangoon in response to the challenges facing Burma's most populous city. Participating experts wrote an open letter to President Thein Sein requesting "urgent action" to reign in unchecked urbanization and enact legislation on building and zoning plans.

The post 64-Year-Old Man Stabbed to Death over Parking Dispute in Rangoon appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

‘Penis Poet’ Slapped with Fresh Charges

Posted: 17 Dec 2015 04:15 AM PST

Maung Saungkha arrives for a hearing at the courthouse in Shwepyithar Township, Rangoon, on Dec. 17. (Photo: Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy)

RANGOON — A poet charged with defamation after posting a verse on social media claiming he had a tattoo of the president on his penis is facing an additional incitement charge after his latest court appearance.

Maung Saungkha, 23, was arrested in early November after several weeks on the run from authorities, after a warning from President's Office director Zaw Htay that the poet should "be prepared to take responsibility" for his profane verse. The 23-year-old has since been held on remand in Rangoon's Insein Prison.

His initial charge was under Section 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law, with a looming three-year prison sentence if convicted. During his fourth court appearance on Thursday, an additional charge under Section 505(b) of the colonial-era Penal Code was added to the proceedings, leaving Maung Saungkha facing an additional two-year punishment under the code's incitement provision.

"He will be the first person charged under 505(b) for writing a poem," the accused's lawyer Robert San Aung told The Irrawaddy on Thursday. "It is highly unfair to be charged twice for the same offense. It seems they want to prosecute him again and again."

In a similar case, National League for Democracy (NLD) supporter Chaw Sandi Tun was arrested in Rangoon in October for allegedly sharing a photograph that compared the uniforms of the Burma Army to female clothing.

Also represented by Robert San Aung, the young woman is facing charges under the same section of the Telecommunications Law. A second charge of defamation under Section 500 of the Penal Code was dropped during her latest court appearance on Monday.

The post 'Penis Poet' Slapped with Fresh Charges appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Lower House Approves Fast-Tracking of By-Elections

Posted: 17 Dec 2015 03:21 AM PST

An empty seat is seen at the opening of a joint parliamentary session in Naypyidaw
on July 4, 2012. (Photo: Reuters)

RANGOON — The Lower House of Parliament on Wednesday approved an amendment to Burma's election laws that would mandate the holding of a by-election within six months of a seat in the country's legislative chambers being vacated.

Khin San Hlaing, a Lower House lawmaker for the National League for Democracy (NLD), told The Irrawaddy that the amended bills state that Burma's Union Election Commission (UEC) must organize by-elections within six months of when a given parliamentary chamber's speaker informs legislators of a seat opening.

She said that under current election laws, there is no timeframe provided for when vacant seats must be filled.

The lack of this by-election provision has meant that over the course of the current five-year parliamentary term, many constituents have gone extended periods without representation in Naypyidaw. An April 2012 by-election saw the NLD win 43 of 44 contested seats, but a second by-election for more than 30 seats scheduled for 2014 was scrapped, with the UEC saying there was not enough time to organize that poll ahead of this year's Nov. 8 general election.

"But now, the commission will arrange to substitute if any lawmaker is vacant for any reason. So it is good. If not, if we wait to hold [by-elections] nationwide, the process will be more complicated," she said.

The bills will be sent to the Upper House for approval.

"It is good for the constituents too—if their representatives quit or are disqualified for any reason or become a cabinet member, the substituted representatives can work for them," Khin San Hlaing added.

The 2012 by-election was called after many members elected to office in Burma's discredited 2010 general election were subsequently appointed to cabinet positions in the victorious Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) government, requiring them to vacate their seats.

If the mandatory fast-tracking of by-elections is approved by Parliament's upper chamber and the NLD follows a similar course in selecting several cabinet members from the ranks of its recently elected MPs, Burma could see another large by-election by year's end.

The NLD dominated last month's nationwide poll, winning nearly 80 percent of elected seats and ensuring that it will form the next government in early 2016.

At present, the country's three election laws—covering the Upper House, Lower House and regional legislatures—state simply: "If there is a vacancy for Hluttaw [Parliament] representative due to any reason in the Parliament, it shall be substituted by election in accord with the law."

The post Lower House Approves Fast-Tracking of By-Elections appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Burma’s Rice Market in a Tight Spot, Sources Say

Posted: 17 Dec 2015 03:02 AM PST

Workers unload bags of rice from a boat at a jetty on the bank of Yangon river October 23, 2015. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters)

RANGOON — Fueled by lower domestic yields and fierce Chinese demand, Burma's rice market has found itself on shaky ground, with local prices among the highest in the region, rice industry sources said.

Rice is Burma's major export item, but widespread flooding in July and August, as well as increasing crop prices, has weakened the commodity's trading power.

Lu Maw Myint Maung, executive director of Shwe Wah Yaung Agriculture Production Co., based in Rangoon, said, "One ton of 5-percent broken grain rice goes for around US$400 in Burma. But in Thai and Vietnamese markets, the price is just around $350."

"There is a gap of about $50," he said.

Myint Cho, director of the Ministry of Commerce, said that as China's demand for rice shipments across the border was growing each year, rice exporters were increasing targeting the neighboring market.

"Exporting rice [to China] is legal here [in Burma], but importing rice [from Burma] is illegal in China, meaning that there are no taxes and that China can offer higher prices," he said.

Although China officially banned rice imports from Burma in 2014, in lieu of assurances that most rice be milled and meet certain quality standards, the rice trade across the Sino-Burmese border accounts for a majority of Burma's total rice exports. Chinese importers have reportedly offered to pay $460 per ton of rice for land shipments but only $330 to $350 per ton for seaborne rice imports.

"It's clear that merchants will want to export to China by land," Myint Cho said.

The record high price in Burma's domestic market has prompted some regional rice merchants to propose exporting rice to Burma, said Ye Min Aung, secretary of the Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF).

"A group from Thailand came and met with the Federation. They said that they want to sell rice to us because Burma has the highest price for rice in the international market. There are also other groups that have proposed selling rice to us when the AEC [ASEAN Economic Community] comes into operation next year," he said.

Another factor that has contributed to the mounting price of rice in Burma is the ongoing depreciation of the kyat. Currently, the local currency is at 1,300 kyat against the dollar.

Rice exporters added that there has also been an uptick in the price of key agricultural imports. Certain benefits are therefore lost on farmers, who have to absorb these additional price hikes.

"As the prices of fertilizers and pesticides have increased due to dollar appreciation, production costs have also increased," said Ye Min Aung.

On top of this, many farmers have to pay back loans—many of which range in price from 550,000 to 600,000 kyat—that they took out from the Ministry of Cooperatives to purchase farming machinery. This "hire purchase system" racks up a steep debt for many farmers.

For the 2014-15 fiscal year, Burma exported approximately 1.8 million tons of rice—a record export volume. Of this, 1.3 million tons of rice went to China.

The post Burma's Rice Market in a Tight Spot, Sources Say appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Hpakant Locals Allege KIA Detention of Jade Mine Protesters

Posted: 17 Dec 2015 02:51 AM PST

Trucks at a Hpakant jade mine in Kachin State, Nov. 25. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters)

MANDALAY — Locals who blocked trucks from dumping jade mine waste near their homes in Hpakant have allegedly been detained by members of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA).

According to local villagers in Hpakant, the epicenter of Burma's immensely lucrative jade trade, five men and two women who organized the blockade were taken away from their homes by men identifying themselves as KIA members on Monday night.

Kai Rwae, a villager who spoke to media about the blockade protest, and a member of a local civil society organization were allegedly among those detained.

"The men said they are from the KIA and wanted to talk with the protesters. When they met with these seven people, they asked them to get into a truck and drove away," said a family member, who requested anonymity.

"We called the KIA to inquire the case, but we can't get through yet. We've lost contact with our family members and heard nothing about them. We are worried for their lives and our own safety," he added.

The Irrawaddy was unable to reach KIA representatives for comment on Thursday.

Locals from Seng La, Mazut Pyan, Aung Larang and Seng Khar have been staging the blockade since Dec. 10, claiming that waste piles brought into the vicinity of their villages have damaged crops and heightened the risk of landslides and flooding. Recent reports suggest a massive increase in the scale of jade mining in the area, ahead of the transition to a new government at the end of March.

Authorities met with the protesters on Sunday, threatening legal action if the blockade was not called off.

The post Hpakant Locals Allege KIA Detention of Jade Mine Protesters appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

TNLA Claims Govt Uses Helicopter Gunships in Latest Clashes

Posted: 17 Dec 2015 01:24 AM PST

Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) soldiers stand guard in Manton Township, northern Shan State, on Jan. 15, 2014. (Photo: Reuters)

The Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) is reporting that its troops and the Burma Army have clashed 13 times over the last five days in northern Shan State, with the ethnic Palaung armed group claiming that the government twice called in aerial firepower.

"The fighting continues every day. It has been for four days already. There was also fighting this morning. They used helicopters to fire on our troops on the 14th and 15th [of December]," Tar Jode Jar, vice chairman of the TNLA, told The Irrawaddy on Thursday.

This morning's hostilities in Namhsan Township, Shan State, took place between the TNLA's Battalion 434 and Burma Army troops from Light Infantry Division 77, according to the TNLA's information department. No information concerning causalities on either side was yet available, the TNLA posted on its Facebook page.

TNLA sources said the heightened frequency of the clashes, which began on Sunday, was due to increased military operations by the Burma Army in territory claimed by the ethnic rebel group.

Mai Aie Kyaw, a spokesperson for the TNLA, said fighting between the TNLA and the government army this morning last about 30 minutes. The TNLA suffered no casualties in the skirmish, he added.

The TNLA was not among the ethnic armed groups that the government deemed eligible to sign a so-called nationwide ceasefire agreement in October. While eight non-state armed groups signed the accord with the government, several others, including major groups such as the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), Shan State Army-North (SSA-N) and United Wa State Army (UWSA), opted not to join the pact for the time being, with many citing concerns about its inclusivity.

Elsewhere fighting has flared in recent months between the SSA-N and the Burma Army in Shan State, as well as government troops and their KIA counterparts in Kachin State, even as the outgoing government has convened ceasefire signatories to begin laying the groundwork for political dialogue as the peace process's next step.

The state-run Global New Light of Myanmar reported on Wednesday that 700 representatives from the Burma Army, political parties including the National League for Democracy (NLD), lawmakers, government officials and the eight ceasefire signatories, will join the political dialogue.

The post TNLA Claims Govt Uses Helicopter Gunships in Latest Clashes appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Scenes From Southern Shan State

Posted: 16 Dec 2015 11:54 PM PST

Click to view slideshow.

It is truly a pleasure to travel to places like the Shan highlands during Burma's cold season, when photos pop with an added crispness, and putting paint to canvas comes with added inspiration. Traveling across southern Shan State, and taking pictures of marketplaces in Taunggyi, Nyaung Shwe, Hsi Hseng, Heho, and Naung Htaung, I had a chance to learn about the socioeconomic day to day of the region's inhabitants. It is best, I think, to peruse local markets to learn this sort of thing.

As I traveled through Shan State, I arrived by chance at Mount Myinmu near Myinmu village in Ywangan Township. Along the road from Taunggyi to Ywangan, stunning scenery unfolds, landscapes ideal for photography or the artistically inclined. This slice of Burma is still relatively unspoiled.

Colorful plantations, blue-tinted mountains and cool breezes all together make for spectacular scenery. Local villages are hospitable and never hesitant to welcome guests, a friend who knows about the region told me. The road linking Taunggyi, Ywangan and Mandalay is improving, and while this is certainly to the benefit of many, I cannot help but wonder what the consequences of better transportation will be for the region's pastoral way of life.

The post Scenes From Southern Shan State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Japan’s Asylum Applications Exceed 2014 Level by End-Oct.

Posted: 16 Dec 2015 09:41 PM PST

Dang Nguyen Thuc Vien (C), a 32-year-old daughter of refugees from south Vietnam, helps a local Vietnamese resident in Japan as an interpreter at a hospital in Kanagawa prefecture, south of Tokyo, Japan, November 25, 2015. (Photo: Yuya Shino / Reuters)

TOKYO — The number of people seeking asylum in Japan this year hit a full-year record by the end of October, government data shows, as looser visa rules and severe labor shortages attract more of those fleeing conflict and poverty.

Japan runs the tightest refugee recognition system among industrialized economies, accepting only 11 refugees last year.

That prompted calls for Japan, which has offered nearly US$2 billion to nations hit by a flood of refugees from Syria, to take more asylum seekers from the Middle East.

A Justice Ministry document seen by Reuters showed 6,160 people filed asylum claims by Oct. 31, exceeding last year's record of 5,000, to reach a fifth consecutive annual high.

Nobuhiro Tsuru, an official at the ministry's refugee recognition department, would not comment on the data because it had not been officially published, but confirmed that "around 6,100" had applied.

More than half of Japan's asylum seekers in 2014 hailed from Nepal, Sri Lanka and Turkey. Tsuru would not say which countries contributed the most asylum seekers this year, saying only that they were "roughly the same" as last year.

Legal changes in 2010 that gave asylum seekers access to work permits have boosted applications, he said.

Many find work in Japan's manufacturing and construction industries, suffering from labor shortages as the population ages. A Reuters investigation in July showed many work in Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd auto brand Subaru's supply chain.

Refugee advocates and policy experts say the increasing numbers claiming asylum are part of a global trend of increased flows of refugees and migrants, coupled with relaxed rules on entry to Japan.

"The hurdles to reach Japan have become lowered for many, including asylum seekers," said Eri Ishikawa of the Japan Association for Refugees, citing eased restrictions on tourist visas introduced by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Experts blame last year's low intake of refugees on a lack of planning for their protection and resettlement, as well as a dysfunctional system for processing claims.

Nearly 18 million foreign tourists visited Japan by the end of November this year, up almost 50 percent from the same period a year earlier, government data published on Tuesday shows.

The spike in asylum seekers since 2010 has led Japan to tighten its refugee recognition system, in a bid to cut what it calls "abusive" applications.

Changes announced in September scrap the automatic grant of work permits to asylum seekers, and allow some to be barred from making multiple reapplications.

The post Japan's Asylum Applications Exceed 2014 Level by End-Oct. appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

US Seeks Answers in Case of Missing Laos Activist

Posted: 16 Dec 2015 09:35 PM PST

Winners of the Ramon Magsaysay Awards, including Sombath Somphone (far left), pose for a photograph during a ceremony in Manila, August 31, 2005. (Photo: Romeo Ranoco / Reuters)

WASHINGTON — The United States called Wednesday for Laos to immediately resolve the case of a prominent activist whose abduction three years ago sent a "chilling message" to civil society.

The State Department statement came as the top US envoy for East Asia prepares to travel to communist-governed Laos, which next year will chair the Southeast Asian regional bloc, a key diplomatic partner for Washington.

The activist, Sombath Somphone, was abducted from a police checkpoint in the capital Vientiane on Dec. 15, 2012. Closed circuit television showed him being escorted by two men to a pickup truck and driven away.

Department spokesman John Kirby said the US is troubled that no progress has been made in locating Somphone and called on the Laotian government to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation.

"The United States remains deeply concerned over his fate and the chilling message his abduction sends to members of civil society and the people of Laos more broadly," Kirby said.

Laos has denied its security apparatus was behind the disappearance and says an investigation continues, but has provided little information about it despite repeated appeals from the US and other Western nations.

Sombath championed young people's participation in development and in 2005 won the Magsaysay Award, Asia's equivalent of the Nobel Peace Prize. He was not considered overtly political but his advocacy for civil society may have been considered a threat by the authoritarian regime that has ruled since 1975.

Also Wednesday, Democratic Rep. Alan Lowenthal criticized suppression of labor rights, persecution of ethnic minorities like the Hmong and detention of political prisoners in Laos.

"As Laos prepares to chair the ASEAN next year and the US and Laos seek greater ties, we must make sure that human rights are a priority for the United States in developing this relationship," he said, referring to the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations. He was speaking at a human rights seminar on Capitol Hill.

President Barack Obama is expected to visit Laos next fall when it hosts a summit of East Asian leaders. Obama would be the first US president to visit the country, which was heavily bombed by the US during the Vietnam War.

Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel will meet with government and party officials in Vientiane this week.

T. Kumar, international advocacy director for Amnesty International USA, said that an annual gathering of international and regional non-government organizations usually held in the country that chairs ASEAN will be held elsewhere to protest Somphone's disappearance.

The post US Seeks Answers in Case of Missing Laos Activist appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Vietnam Builds Military Muscle to Face China

Posted: 16 Dec 2015 09:18 PM PST

Soldiers of the army force march during a parade marking their 70th National Day at Ba Dinh square in Hanoi, Vietnam, September 2, 2015. (Photo: Kham / Reuters)

XUAN MAI, Vietnam — Vietnam's military is steeling itself for conflict with China as it accelerates a decade-long modernization drive, Hanoi's biggest arms buildup since the height of the Vietnam War.

The ruling Communist Party's goal is to deter its giant northern neighbor as tensions rise over the disputed South China Sea, and if that fails, to be able to defend itself on all fronts, senior officers and people close to them told Reuters.

Vietnam's strategy has moved beyond contingency planning. Key units have been placed on "high combat readiness"—an alert posture to fend off a sudden attack—including its elite Division 308, which guards the mountainous north.

The two countries fought a bloody border war in 1979. The likely flashpoint this time is in the South China Sea, where they have rival claims in the Spratly and Paracel archipelagos.

"We don't want to have a conflict with China and we must put faith in our policy of diplomacy," one senior Vietnamese government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters. "But we know we must be ready for the worst."

Most significantly, Hanoi is creating a naval deterrent largely from scratch with the purchase of six advanced Kilo-class submarines from Russia.

In recent months, the first of those submarines have started patrolling the South China Sea, Vietnamese and foreign military officials said, the first confirmation the vessels have been in the strategic waterway.

Division 308

Militarily, the tensions are palpable northwest of Hanoi at the headquarters of Division 308, Vietnam's most elite military unit, where senior army officers talk repeatedly about "high combat readiness."

The phrase is on billboards beneath images of missiles and portraits of Vietnam's late revolutionary founder, Ho Chi Minh, and its legendary military hero, General Vo Nguyen Giap.

Perched between Vietnam's craggy northern mountains and the ancient rice paddies of the Red River Delta, 308 is Vietnam's oldest division and still effectively guards the northern approaches to Hanoi.

Reflecting deep-set official sensibilities towards offending Beijing, one senior officer, Colonel Le Van Hai, said he could not talk about China. But Vietnam was ready to repel any foreign force, he told Reuters during a rare visit by a foreign reporter.

"Combat readiness is the top priority of the division, of the Ministry of Defense and the country. We can deal with any sudden or unexpected situation … We are ready," he said.

"High combat readiness," along with references to the "new situation," increasingly feature in lectures by senior officers during visits to military bases and in publications of the People's Army of Vietnam. The phrases also surface in talks with foreign military delegations, diplomats said.

"When Vietnam refers to the 'new situation,' they are using coded language to refer to the rising likelihood of an armed confrontation or clash with China, particularly in the South China Sea," said Carl Thayer, a professor at Australia's Defence Force Academy in Canberra who has studied Vietnam's military since the late 1960s.

While ramping up combat readiness, Hanoi's once-reclusive generals are reaching out to a broad range of strategic partners. Russia and India are the main source of advanced weapons, training and intelligence cooperation. Hanoi is also building ties with the United States and its Japanese, Australian and Filipino allies, as well as Europe and Israel.

The outreach covers weapons purchases, ship visits and intelligence sharing but will have its limits. Hanoi shuns formal military alliances under a staunchly independent foreign policy.

Vietnam is seeking more Russian jet fighter-bombers and is in talks with European and US arms manufacturers to buy fighter and maritime patrol planes and unarmed surveillance drones, sources have told Reuters. It has also recently upgraded and expanded air defenses, including obtaining early warning surveillance radars from Israel and advanced S-300 surface-to-air missile batteries from Russia.

Indeed, increases in Vietnam's military spending have outstripped its South East Asian neighbors over the last decade, according to estimates by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

"They are not doing this for national day parades … they are building real military capabilities," said Tim Huxley, a regional security expert at the International Institute of Strategic Studies in Singapore.

Oil Rig Flashpoint

While communist parties rule both Vietnam and China and share political bonds, the two countries have a history marked by armed conflict and long periods of lingering mistrust.

Fresh academic research has revealed how the Sino-Vietnamese war in 1979 was more intense than is widely known, rumbling on into the mid-1980s. The two sides then clashed at sea in 1988 when China occupied its first holdings in the Spratly archipelago of the South China Sea—a defeat still acutely felt in Hanoi.

China also took full control of another South China Sea island chain, the Paracels, after a naval showdown with then South Vietnam in 1974. Hanoi still protests China's occupation.

More recently, China's placement of an oil rig in disputed waters for 10 weeks in the middle of last year sparked anti-Chinese riots across Vietnam.

The rig's placement on Vietnam's continental shelf 80 nautical miles from its coast was a game-changer, officials in Hanoi privately said, hardening suspicions about Chinese President Xi Jinping among political and military leaders.

Hanoi dispatched dozens of Vietnamese civilian vessels to confront the 70 coastguard and naval warships China sent to protect the oil rig in mid-2014.

"It was a reminder to all of us just how dangerous the South China Sea has become," said one retired US naval officer.

For its part, China's military strategists have long been frustrated at the two dozen military outposts that Hanoi has fortified across the Spratlys since losing the Paracels in 1974, Chinese analysts say. China is building three air strips on man-made islands it is building on reefs in the Spratlys that it took from Vietnamese forces in 1988.

A statement to Reuters from China's Defense Ministry said the two militaries had close, friendly relations and China was willing to work hard with Vietnam for regional peace.

"Both sides have frank exchanges of view on the South China Sea … both sides should look for a basic, lasting solution both sides can accept," the statement said.

China's historic claim to most of the South China Sea, expressed on maps as a nine-dash line, overlaps the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei. Taiwan also has claims in the area.

Some US$5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes through the waterway every year, including most of the oil imported by China, Japan and South Korea.

'Psychological Uncertainty'

The importance to China of protecting its submarine base on Hainan Island—the projected home of its future nuclear armed submarine fleet—could be another flashpoint. Beijing also has jet fighters and many of its best warships stationed around Hainan Island. This South Sea Fleet is close to Vietnam's northern coast and its vital deep water access channels to the South China Sea and beyond.

Vietnamese generals make clear to foreign visitors they know their limitations. Two decades of double-digit increases in defense budgets have given China a vastly larger and better equipped navy, air force and army.

Foreign military envoys say they struggle to gauge Vietnam's actual capabilities and how well they are integrating complex new weapons. They are given little access beyond Hanoi's gilded staterooms.

Vietnamese military strategists talk of creating a "minimal credible deterrent"—raising the costs of any Chinese move against Vietnam, whether it is a naval confrontation or an attack across the 1,400-km (875-mile) northern land border.

If conflict did break out, Hanoi could target Chinese-flagged merchant container and oil ships in the South China Sea, said Thayer, who said he was told this by Vietnamese strategists.

The aim would be not to defeat China's superior forces but "to inflict sufficient damage and psychological uncertainty to cause Lloyd's insurance rates to skyrocket and for foreign investors to panic," Thayer said in a paper presented to a Singapore conference last month.

Vietnam's foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment on this story.

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