AllSBNews

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Shan Herald Agency for News

Tatmadaw accused of killing, arbitrary arrests near Lashio

Posted: 28 Jun 2016 04:00 AM PDT

At least one villager was killed, while three were injured and another five arrested by the Burma Army on Saturday in northern Shan State's Lashio Township, according to a local source.

According to the resident of Mong Yaw sub-township, who wished to remain anonymous, a unit of Tatmadaw [Burmese military troops] pulled into the village of Long Mon in about five trucks and suddenly opened fire.

"They fired near the maize fields while villagers were still working," said the source. "When people heard the sound of shooting, they tried to run away."

He said that three female villagers were injured by gunfire, and were taken to the local hospital in Mong Yaw.

"After unloading their guns, the soldiers began stopping and questioning drivers as they passed by," he said. "One man was shot dead at the check point. However his body is still missing."

The Burma Army allegedly ordered farmers who were trying to run for cover to line up by the side of the road for questioning. Most were later allowed to go home, but five villagers were reportedly taken into custody. They were named as: Aik Hseng, 23; Aik Lod, 39; Aik Maung, 27; Sai Mon Awn, 17; and Sai Aik Maung, 23.

The eyewitness said that the shooting happened at about 2 p.m. He said that the battalion responsible was from Lashio, and that they sported a logo of a gun and sword on their uniforms, with the words Ja Ma Ya 10 on the other side.

Reached for comment by SHAN, Sai Wan Leng Kham, an Upper House representative from the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), said that it was reported to him that fighting took place in that area on June 25. Therefore, he said, his team went to investigate the area the following day.

Sai Wan Leng Kham said he had reported news of the five arrests to a senior level of the Burmese military. However, he had not received a response to date.

"The Burma Army has apparently denied arresting those people. They said they released everyone," said the Mong Yaw source. "But those villagers have still not returned home."

A number of armed groups are actively operating in the Mong Yaw area, among them: Manpang Peoples Militia, led by Bo Mon; the Kachin Defense Army (KDA) People's Militia, led by Matu Naw; the Kachin Independence Army (KIA); the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA); and the Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA).

BY Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN)

THE FOUNDING OF THE UNION OF BURMA THROUGH THE HILL PEOPLES RFFORTS

Posted: 28 Jun 2016 12:05 AM PDT

Khun Kya Bu

The Memoirs of Khun Kya Bu of Hsipaw

Signatory to the Panglong Agreement.

Foreword

These memoirs, originally in Burmese, took a period of two years to write. They were completed in 1978, when Khun Kya Bu was already 81 and nearing the end of his life. He died on May 31, 1980.

Khun Kya Oo

I had initially wanted to translate the
Khun Kya Nu
wholo work, but after re-reading it. I realized that it would be an enormous task, not least because of my deficiency both in English and Burmese. Nevertheless, I thought many things written in it ought to be told to the Shan People, and particularly to those who are interested in Shan affairs, both abroad and at home. I have therefore tried to present it in the form of a summary, which I hope will satisfy some and fire others with enthusiasm to learn more from this truly important work.

I would like to express my deepest appreciation to the late Khun Kya Bu for his invaluable parting of knowledge and experience, and to his sons, Khun Kya Oo and Khun Kya Nu, for their comments and encouragement.

Khuensai Jaiyen

March 1, 1993

SUMMARY

Khun Kya Bu begins his memoirs with the words "Shanland is a separate entity from Burma. It has existed without being part of Burma. However, we became British slaves at the same time as the Burmese—while they fell under British sovereignty, the Shans fell under British suzerainty.

He goes on to say that through the British annexation, the Shans lost two-thrids of their territories to the Burmese, including Mawlake, Sawngsob (Thaungthut), Wiangsurh (Wuntho), Kardsar (Katha), Banmaw (Bhamo), Mongyang (Moe Hnyin) and Mongkawng (Moegaung) in the north, and an area to the east of the Sittaung named Salween Division which stretches as far as Martaban and Kyawknyat, Shwekyin, Pay (Prome)and Taikkyi on the Irrawaddy delta.

The British, and later the Japanese, knew well that the Shans were a separate entity. That was why under the British, Burma had become a colony and the Shan States a subordinate ally and protectorate, a fact supported by Clarence Hendershot in his The conquest, pacification, and administration of the Shan States by the British (1886-1897). The Japanese, especially Premier Tojo, and the officials involved in Burma affairs, Col Nagata and Mr Ichi, had recognized the Shans status. At a speech made by Tojo on January 28, 1943, on the occasion of granting independence to Burma, he said: "With regards to the territorial composition of the New State of Burma, it is to include the whole territory of Burma with the exception of Shan and Karenni areas." However, the theater commanders, bowing to the vigorous lobbying of the Burmese, went on to include the Shan States and the Karennis in Burmese territory, with the exception of Mongpan and Kengtung, which were transferred to the Thais for the duration of the War.

Several comments by foreign travelers concerning the Shans, are also quoted:

"The Shans have no desire for worldly riches though they are rich in minerals."

"Shans are the most peace-loving people, who trust everybody and envy nobody."

Shan festivities were attended by youths armed with muskets and swords. Foreigners were struck by the fact that they were watched over by a mere handful of policemen, who were each armed with only a whistle and a baton and yet managed to keep ugly incidents at bay.

The Shans were also mentioned as good fighters, especially under able commanders. One example was the successful repulse of the 1449 Chinese invasion at Banmaw (Bhamo) under the generalship of the Prince of Mongkawng.

According to Khun Kya Bu, the Shans were treated with esteem by the British. He mentions the invitation by Queen Victoria to Sao Khun Hseng, the Prince of Hsipaw, in 1898 to visit the court of England and how he was received with courtesy as befitted a ruler of an independent state. British officials in the Shan States also took care they remained only in an advisory role. "Although they had the upper hand, in order to win the Shans hearts they never imposed their authority."

The interstate motor roads were completed in 1896, barely ten years after the annexation. "Most of the roads we are using today are handed down from that period," he added with feeling.

The British had also honored the Shan written language. In their coins, paper currency, steamers and railway stations, Shan letters could be seen alongside those of English and Burmese. These were however omitted after independence. Still, the odd thing was Shan was not taught at government operated schools. Only English and Burmese were taught. The British were in a way helping the Burmese cause by trying to integrate, rather than segregate as many believe, the Shans and the other non-Burmese into Burmese society. "Nevertheless, through the conscious efforts of the Shan monastic order, 65% of the local population was reported to have learned to read and write."

He describes with relish how a Frontier resident, Mr Franklin, was transferred immediately after the local people filed a complaint to his superiors that he forcefully pulled down the Shan national flag in the silver mining town of Namtu on March 5, 1947. (It was first designated on February 11, 1947.)

In this way, the British won the Shans' admiration and loyalty. Many Shans went to fight alongside British soldiers during WWⅠin France, Egypt and then in Asia Minor – an area which nowadays includes most of Turkey, Iran and Iraq. However, he remembers only two of them: Captain Khun Oong and Sergeant Zampa.

During the British retreat from Burma, the Shan contingents had been given the toughest mission – to guard the rear. Their courage was proved in the battles of the Sittang crossing, Pyinzalok-Penwagon, and Oketwin Railway Station. The late Sao Htun Yin of Nawnngmawn, who participated there, was decorated for his distinguished valor shown during the later Battle of Imphal-Kohima.

He also quotes a newspaper report about anti-Japanese Shan fighters which is reproduced here:

MOVEMENT AGAINST FASCIST JAPAN IN SHAN STATES

(New Times of Burma, in its issue of 23 November 1946, published the following accounts of what Force 136 did.)

GUERRILLA WARFARE BEHIND JAPANESE LINES

Capt. J. E. Smallwood, in an address to the Roya, Central Assian Society in London, on the 20^th November 1946, spoke thus:

"They (Force 136) proved a real thorn in the side of the Japanese and the Siamese lines of communications in Northeast Burma. Rank and file were mainly made up of Shans and Kachins for whom the British officers in charge has the highest praise.

The levies as an urganized forced were no match against regular troops, but operating as guerrillas in the native jungle, there were no troops to touch them.

Although we armed our levies, as they were called, with rifles or sub-machine guns, they were much happier with a dah or long-bladed knife, usually used for clearing the jungle, and it was with these weapons that they did most of the damage."

Shan weaknesses were not glossed over either. He quotes Sao Saimong Mangrai:

"Shans are ready and willing to accept a powerful arbitration from outside, but would perish rather than submit to their own kind, even for the sake of unity."

"Shans lack cohesion. Their intense individuality has prevented the formation of a strong Tai state."

In their relationships with the Burmese, he has credited the Shans as being loyal friends, willing to fight and die for the Burmese using their own resources. History proves, he says, that the Burmese managed to lose their kingdoms through their own traitors despite Shan willingness and readiness to help.

It was the Shans who had successfully broken down the defenses of Siamese capital of Ayutthaya (in 1767), which were passed over to the Burmese troops. The Shans were just glad that it was over and they would be back home with their families soon.

It was the Shans again who had, after the election of the new Shan States Council, which in effect became the Shan parallel government, called for the Panglong Conference on their own initiative and paid for its expenses. This fact is often overlooked by people who benefitted from it.

It was also the Shans with their Levies, and with their Foreign Minister, Sao Khun Khio, who came to the rescue of the Burmese Government besieged in Rangoon by their own rebellious people in 1949.

However, the history of Burma --"full of legends and lies," according to some foreign historians—failed to appreciate this (the Shans' role). In fact, the downward turn of the history of the Shans began with their admission of Brahmas (i.e. the Bamars or the Burmese) from India.

In 1881, the Burmese set up their garrisons in Lashio, Mongpai, Mongnai and Kengtung to oversee the Saofahs. Every commodity was taxed, and requisitions for the military supplies had to be fulfilled. Porters of both sexes were continually demanded. Also to satisfy their greed, gambling had been encouraged. (Commentator's Note: This practice is still continuing today.)

It seems difficult, if not impossible, for the Burmese and especially the Shans to regard each other as fellow nationals. Khun Kya Bu tells us of his reading of Thakin Kodawhmaing's biography, which tells of how he invited the Prince of Yawnghwe to become his Chief Minister. The Thakin, still one of the most revered among the Burmese, however declined the offer because he was determined not to serve "under foreign rule."

During WWⅡ , many Chinese civilians in lower Burma had fled to the north in anticipation of the Japanese thrust from Thailand. These were many incidents of their being robbed, raped and murdered on the way by the lawless Burmese. When the Chinese troops marched down, they look their revenge on the Burmese populace. People were stopped on the way and questioned as to their nationalities. All the "Pai-yis" (Shans) were allowed to move on, but the "Lao Mien" (Burmese) were summarily executed. The only magic charm against these mishaps seemed to be the word "Pai-yi", and Khun Kya Bu, with barely concealed glee, tells us how the Burmese populace memorized these words in order to save extricate themselves from their predicament.

If July 19, 1947, is the blackest day for the both Burmese and Shans alike, the next day was no less blacker. Sao Sarm Htun, the Prince of Mongpawn, who was among the wounded during the assassination of Aung San was taken with the others to the General Hospital in Rangoon. His Karen personal assistant personally carried him there. Apart from being unable to speak, because of the bullet wound in his chin, he was conscious and in good spirits when last seen. "But no one was allowed to see him. They just told me he was all right, that there was nothing to worry about him. Then the next day, it was announced that he died from his wounds."

Khun Kya Bu is really bitter here. He does not reveal the Karen PA's name for obvious reasons, because he was submitting his memoirs to the Burma Socialist Program Party. Nor does he disclose what is on his mind, when he tells us about this incident also for obvious reasons, but all the implications are there for us to see.

He recalls that the situation in the post-Independence days was so bad that one non-Burmese colonel came down to Rangoon in anger and told a meeting:

"I suggest that to get things right, each of the nationalities do only what they are good at. Let the Chins and Kachins, who are good at fighting, handle defense matters. Let the Shans and Karennis, who are honest rulers, handle administrative affairs. As for you Burmese, as you are good at fine arts, you should just be responsible for that. Everything will then be straightened out and return to normal."

The above may be too much for some Burmese. However, Khun Kya Bu has reserved his wholehearted praise for one Burmese – Aung San. He tells us how Aung San on his arrival in Taunggyi, after his return from London, admitted to the Shans gathered at the town soccer field his fault in not including Shan representatives in his delegation. Khun Kya Bu gives full marks to Aung San for his courage. (The Shan States Council had set a telegram to London that the Burmese delegation did not represent Shan interests, which almost jeopardized Aung San's negotiation with the H.M Government.)

Tin Htut

Aung San, he says, was an advocate for Federalism. At the Anti Fascist People's Freedom League (AFPFL). Conference in May 1947, prior to the convening of the Constituent Assembly, Aung San told the Conference he was opposed to the unitary system of Government. Khun Kya Bu then gives us a copy of Aung San's full speech when he laid down the Seven Directives for the drafting of the Constitution. At one point, he definitely said it should not be a "unitary constitution."

Khun Kya Bu also mourns the death of Brigadier Tin Htut, Commander of the Hill People's Force, who was killed by a bomb blast during the turbulent post independence rebellions. Apart from Aung San, he was the only Burmese who won the Shans' trust. Referring to the Burmese leadership in general, Khun Kya Bu states: "This is what happens when people who have never gotten hold of money, power, weapons and position, get hold of them."

Towards the end of the narrative, he lectures his Burmese readers: "You have to be responsible for your actions and their outcome. One ought not to pass the blame onto others."

He then, concludes with a moving Greek poem probably composed during the resistance against the Turkish invasion:

The mountains looked on to me

And I myself looked upon the plains

And musing there an hour along

I dreamed that we might still be free

For slanding on the aggressor's grave

I could not deem myself a slave

END

Monday, June 27, 2016

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Siamese King’s Tomb in Mandalay Sealed, Pending Government Approval of Restoration Work
Visually Impaired Association Trains Rangoon Bus Workers
Anti-Rohingya Nationalist Group Plans Posters, Protests
Burma Army Files Lawsuit Against Local Media Outlet
Ethnic Armed Groups To Meet Before Panglong
Muslims Flee Village After Rioting, Perpetrators Remain Free
Confiscated Land Returned To Rightful Owners
Gambira Moved to Insein Prison to Face Additional Charges
Rangoon Authorities Ban Press Conference on Burma Army Torture
Wa National Organization Denies Involvement in Drug Trade
China Touts New Bank’s Greater Understanding of Developing World

Siamese King’s Tomb in Mandalay Sealed, Pending Government Approval of Restoration Work

Posted: 27 Jun 2016 08:05 AM PDT

Siamese King Uthumphon's tomb on Lin Zin hill in Mandalay Division. (Photo: Zaw Zaw / The Irrawaddy)

MANDALAY — The consecration ceremony planned for a tomb believed to house the remains of 18^th century Thai King Uthumphon in Amarapura Township near Mandalay was postponed after the Mandalay City Municipal Department (MCDC) ordered the area sealed on Friday.

The Mandalay municipal committee responsible for research on and restoration of the tomb said they sealed it because the work—which was carried out by a local team and supported by the Thai Royal Treasury—was illegal and broke Burmese archaeological laws.

"After reviewing the process, we did not find any agreement between the two governments," said Nyo Myint Tun, director general of the Mandalay divisional department of archaeology and museums, at a press conference in Mandalay on Saturday.

"We told them to halt the restoration work while we verified the remains found in the tomb. But they continued working and broke the law. On top of that, they went forward with planning the re-consecration ceremony without informing MCDC or the regional government—so we decided to seal the area until further notice," Nyo Myint Tun added.

Although the excavation and restoration work at the Lin Zin hill site started in 2013, the committee said they have no records confirming that both the Thai and Burmese governments officially approved it, said MCDC official Thet Naing Tun.

According to Mandalay Chief Minister Zaw Myint Maung, the letter of cooperation between the two governments was initially sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Religious Affairs and to the State Counselor's Office in Naypyidaw.

"The ministries will contact the Thai government and in the meantime, the restoration process will stop until the two governments formally agree on it," said the chief minister.

"If not, there will be many relationship problems between the two countries in future."

Concurrently, the influential Burmese abbot Sitagu Sayadaw, who supported and instructed the restoration team, met with high ranking Thai Buddhist monks and officials from the Thai Royal Treasury. He reportedly explained the reasons for the delay and requested that the Thai government help by responding to MCDC's proposal for government cooperation.

"We don't understand why this restoration project became illegal. We have been working since 2013 with agreement from MCDC and the regional government. However, now that they want us to halt, we will wait for their approval," said "Tampawaddy" Win Maung, who leads the restoration.

The post Siamese King's Tomb in Mandalay Sealed, Pending Government Approval of Restoration Work appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Visually Impaired Association Trains Rangoon Bus Workers

Posted: 27 Jun 2016 07:56 AM PDT

Two students practice a math exercise at the Kawechan School for the Blind in Rangoon. (Photo: Tin Htet Paing / The Irrawaddy)

RANGOON — Burma's national association for visually impaired people held a training workshop on Friday for the Rangoon Division Motor Vehicles Supervisory Committee—known locally by the Burmese language acronym Ma Hta Tha—to address barriers faced by blind and visually impaired people in the city's antiquated transportation system.

The Myanmar National Association of the Blind (MNAB) on Friday delivered the one-day workshop to 140 bus conductors and drivers operating under Ma Hta Tha, according to the association's director, Hkawn Nu.

It was the second interaction between MNAB and Ma Hta Tha, the first being in December last year, said Hkawn Nu.

"We explained to the trainees why visually impaired persons need to travel and how to help them use public transport," she told The Irrawaddy on Monday.

"We showed them how to take blind persons into buses from bus stops, how to help them get off at the right bus stops and how to communicate with them effectively without unnecessary burden, among other things," Hkawn Nu.

Authorities and policymakers should also be aware that difficulties regarding access to public transportation harm the visually impaired population, she said.

"The concept of keeping blind persons inside houses and not letting them go outside is still prevalent in our society," she said. "Such attitudes need to be changed."

Hla Aung, chairperson of Ma Hta Tha, told The Irrawaddy that the committee is keen to encourage such training for bus conductors and drivers

"After the first training [last December], we observed some positive improvement in our staff helping visually impaired passengers," he said.

However, he explained that the committee's employees need more frequent practical trainings so that they are able to more skillfully provide services to these passengers.

According to the 2014 national census, out of Burma's population of around 51.5 million, 4.6 percent suffer from at least one type of disability, and 2.5 percent suffer from visual impairment.

A new law on the rights of persons with disabilities was enacted in June 2015, abolishing the 1958 Disabled Persons Employment Act.

The post Visually Impaired Association Trains Rangoon Bus Workers appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Anti-Rohingya Nationalist Group Plans Posters, Protests

Posted: 27 Jun 2016 06:32 AM PDT

The abbot of Khaung Laung Kyaung Monastery speaks at a meeting of anti-Rohingya nationalists on Sunday (Photo: Than Htun / Facebook)

RANGOON — Around 300 Arakanese nationalists, monks and civil society organizations in Sittwe, Arakan State, convened a meeting on Sunday in a monastery leading to a decision to launch a "poster campaign for every Arakanese House" throughout the state.

The campaign intends to air their dissatisfaction with the government's use of the term "the Muslim community in Arakan State" to refer to the Rohingya minority.

Arakan National Party (ANP) Secretary Htun Aung Kyaw confirmed the meeting agenda, which, he said, focused on four things: sending a letter to the union government calling on it to refer to the Rohingya as "Bengali," a widely-used term implies that they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh; using "the Arakan Race" to refer to themselves instead of "Buddhists from Arakan State;" creating a poster campaign throughout the entire state, as well as organizing a massive protest.

Than Htun, a nationalist who is actively involved in anti-Rohingya campaigns, said the group gathered because they were upset with the government's new terminology, which was used by Burma's representative at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.

Than Htun urged the current government to use the previous government's term "Bengali," and said they were preparing to write a letter to State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and other lawmakers that will be sent within one week.

Of the poster campaign discussed at the meeting, he said, "I couldn't say exactly when that will start. Maybe this week."

According to another participant, the main outcome of the meeting was to write, "We don't accept 'Muslims from Arakan State'" on posters and put them up in front of every Buddhist house in Sittwe, the Arakan State capital. He told The Irrawaddy that a recently formed committee held a meeting on Monday and has decided to hold protests in several townships in Arakan State.

The Rohingya are a Muslim minority in Arakan State, many of whom have been forced out of their homes due to violence and have been living in camps for internally displaced persons since 2012.

The post Anti-Rohingya Nationalist Group Plans Posters, Protests appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Burma Army Files Lawsuit Against Local Media Outlet

Posted: 27 Jun 2016 06:07 AM PDT

Screenshot of a story on the Burmese 7 Day Daily newspaper website, which prompted a Burma Army lawsuit against the local media outlet.

RANGOON — The Burma Army has filed a lawsuit against local media outlet 7 Day Daily for publishing a story in April which included former general Shwe Mann's message to graduates of the Defense Services Academy, claiming the story could lead to the disintegration of the military.

The 7 Day Daily newspaper printed comments in which Shwe Mann urged his colleagues to work for the country's new elected democratic government.

Shwe Mann, who served as the third highest-ranking general in the country's former military regime—and as the joint chief of staff of Burma's army, navy and air force—posted the message on his Facebook page on April 23.

"The government chosen and entrusted by the people is now serving the duties with responsibility and accountability," wrote Shwe Mann, now a close ally of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and head of the Union Parliament's Legal Affairs and Special Cases Assessment Commission. "It is the right time for our brothers to cooperate [with the National League for Democracy's 2015 election victory] with much rejoicing."

Two days later, the army's information department responded to the statement, calling it an attempt to divide the armed forces and saying that it ignored the fact that the military had repeatedly promised—and fulfilled its pledge—to cooperate with the government both before and after the 2015 general election. The information department said Shwe Mann's statement made it appear as though the military had not cooperated.

7 Day Daily's deputy editor-in-chief Ahr Mahn told The Irrawaddy that the military filed the case on Saturday against editor-in-chief Thaung Su Nyein and journalist Min Hein Kyaw, who reported the story. They filed the case under Section 131 of Burma's Penal Code, which punishes anyone who abets mutiny or attempts to seduce an officer from his allegiance or duty, with up to ten years imprisonment.

"The police have not yet officially informed us. But today, they started questioning us," Ahr Mahn said, adding that the armed forces had opened the case because they claimed the story could destroy military unity.

"The military issued the critical press release in response to Shwe Mann's message," said Myint Kyaw of the Myanmar Journalist Network (MJN). "But, they filed the case against the media that reported on what Shwe Mann said. It is not natural."

The Myanmar Press Council released a statement on Monday stating that it wanted the case to be settled through negotiations.

The post Burma Army Files Lawsuit Against Local Media Outlet appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Ethnic Armed Groups To Meet Before Panglong

Posted: 27 Jun 2016 06:02 AM PDT

Gen Gun Maw of the KIO attends a nationwide ceasefire meeting in Rangoon last year.

CHIANG MAI, Thailand — Ethnic armed organizations plan to hold a summit in mid-July in the conflict-torn region of Mai Ja Yang in Kachin State, near the border with China, in order to discuss the upcoming 21st Century Panglong conference, according to sources close to the groups.

Khuensai Jaiyen, an advisor to the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), told The Irrawaddy that RCSS leader Lt-Gen Yawd Serk met Gen Gun Maw of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) in early June and that they had agreed to hold an ethnic summit in Mai Ja Yang. They have reportedly invited all ethnic armed organizations—those that signed Burma's nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) and those that did not.

The NCA was signed between eight ethnic armed groups and Thein Sein's government in 2015.

"The RCSS and the KIO are still trying to set a date for the summit. They will invite all ethnic armed groups. In order to make it happen, the Burma Army also needs to give the green light, as well as Chinese authorities," said Jaiyen.

The meeting is expected to take place after July 12, according to sources.

Jaiyen said the summit would be convened to discuss how a new Panglong Conference should be adjusted under the current political climate in Burma.

The first Panglong Conference was held in 1947 and resulted in an agreement among Shan, Kachin, Chin and Burman leaders in preparation for independence from Britain.

Ethnic armed groups who have not signed the NCA include members of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC)—which the KIO chairs—and will be also invited, said Jaiyen.

Khun Okkar, a spokesperson for the eight ethnic armed groups who signed the NCA last year, told The Irrawaddy that the RCSS and the KIO are still working to fix a date for the summit.

"It is confirmed that the summit will happen," said Khun Okkar, without elaborating.

The idea for the summit came from ethnic leaders from groups such as the KIO, the RCSS, the Shan State Progress Party (SSPP) and the Chin National Front (CNF)—groups that see themselves as successors of the signatories of the 1947’s Panglong Agreement, which is why they have agreed to hold the event, explained Jaiyen.

The summit will be held in Mai Ja Yang because it is logistically easier for ethnic organizations such as the United Wa State Army (UWSA) and its allies to attend the meeting, he added.

The post Ethnic Armed Groups To Meet Before Panglong appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Muslims Flee Village After Rioting, Perpetrators Remain Free

Posted: 27 Jun 2016 05:54 AM PDT

The mosque destroyed in sectarian rioting on Thursday in Thuye Thamain village, Waw Township, Pegu Division. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy)

RANGOON — About 200 Muslim residents have fled Thuye Thamain village of Waw Township in Pegu Division out of fear for their safety, with only a small number of Muslim men remaining to take care of their property, according to local sources.

As was reported by The Irrawaddy, Muslims in the village sought refuge in the local police station after an altercation between a Buddhist and a Muslim resident on Thursday drew a mob that proceeded to destroy a mosque, a storehouse and the home of a Muslim family.

Police have yet to take serious action against those said to be involved in the rioting. On Sunday, some locals were brought in but released after some brief questioning.

While visiting the village on Friday, Irrawaddy reporters witnessed the alleged perpetrators driving around freely on motorbikes, passing close to police officers and stopping to observe the work of the reporters.

The Irrawaddy journalists also saw several men near the village's river jetty brandishing sticks and shouting threats at Muslims who were making their way toward the police station for sanctuary.

This has only heightened the insecurity felt by local Muslims, prompting them to flee the village, despite claims made by local police that the situation was now "stable."

Win Shwe, a Muslim community leader, told The Irrawaddy on Monday that some had left by boat and others by motorbike, beginning on Friday. Many intended to stay with relatives in other villages in Pegu Division.

The Muslim community, already small, is now significantly diminished in Thuye Thamain—a village formerly of around 1,500 Buddhist households and 37 Muslim households.

"Only men remained in the village to take care of their property," said Win Shwe.

He said that his own family had left already, and only he had stayed behind. "I am worried about them [local Buddhists] coming to take my property from my house. Therefore, I have to stay. There are other men similar too me," he said.

Ohn Lwin, a police chief for the village, said, "The situation is already stable. Violence only happened on Thursday. It has been fine since then. But, there were people who fled from the village."

The Pegu Division government has yet to give orders to detain those involved in the rioting, according to the local police. Some police officers were not happy about it, but they said they could not do anything. Officers by the station were heard commenting on how it would have been "easy" to arrest those responsible.

The Irrawaddy attempted to talk to locals from the Buddhist majority about the incident, but they claimed to know nothing or refrained from commenting.

The post Muslims Flee Village After Rioting, Perpetrators Remain Free appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Confiscated Land Returned To Rightful Owners

Posted: 27 Jun 2016 04:17 AM PDT

Henry Van Thio at a land returning ceremony in Maubin on Saturday. (Photo: Salai Thant Zin / The Irrawaddy)

RANGOON — More than 6,000 acres of land confiscated over the past decades were returned to their rightful owners on Saturday in Irrawaddy Division, marking the first attempt to do so by the new government after forming a national-level land dispute committee in early May.

During a ceremony, 3,166 acres seized by Yuzana Company in Pantanaw Township were returned to 252 farmers while 3,268 acres taken by the Ministry of Industry in Pyapon Township were returned to 72 owners.

Yuzana, run by Htay Myint, is a Burmese conglomerate blacklisted by the United States, and has also seized 270,000 acres of farmland in the remote Hukawng region of Kachin State for agriculture ventures, including cassava and sugarcane plantations. In early May, more than 8,000 villagers from the area sent an open letter to the new government calling on it to resolve a massive land confiscation dispute with the company.

On Saturday, Vice President Henry Van Thio, who is also the chairman of the Central Review Committee on Confiscated Farm Lands and Other Lands, said during the ceremony that the government was making systematic efforts to ensure transparency in returning confiscated lands to farmers.

"However, in some cases, farmers should wait a certain amount of time as the work needs to be carried out in conformity with the existing rules and regulations of the land laws," he said.

Van Thio added that private companies and government departments had been granted permission to confiscate land, including farmland, under the pretext of urbanization and industrialization.

According to findings of the Farmers Affairs Committee in the Upper House of Parliament, as many as 2 million acres of land across Burma could be considered "confiscated."

In May, Burma's President Htin Kyaw formed the Central Review Committee on Confiscated Farmlands and Other Lands, chaired by Henry Van Thio, an ethnic Chin who is one of Burma's two vice presidents. The committee is couched within the executive branch and is distinct from existing parliamentary committees with similar portfolios. It is tasked with monitoring state and divisional governments' handling of land disputes and enabling the return of land to dispossessed farmers from government ministries, state-owned enterprises and private companies.

At the time this new executive committee was announced, the President's Office urged that further land acquisition be postponed until disputes were settled in accordance with the law.

Additional reporting by Salai Thant Zin in Pantanaw.

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Gambira Moved to Insein Prison to Face Additional Charges

Posted: 27 Jun 2016 04:00 AM PDT

Former Buddhist monk Gambira was recently moved to Yangon's Insein prison to face additional criminal charges. (Photo: Reuters)

MANDALAY — Rangoon authorities moved Nyi Nyi Lwin, a former monk better known as U Gambira, from Mandalay's Obo prison to Rangoon's Insein prison on Sunday to face additional criminal charges.

Gambira's family was informed that he now faces charges for allegedly trespassing and breaking into Rangoon monasteries that authorities had sealed after the 2007 Saffron Revolution.

He is currently being held at Insein prison and the court date has not been set, said Daw Yae, his mother.

A court in Mandalay Division's Maha Aung Myay Township sentenced the former monk in April to six months in prison with hard labor for allegedly crossing the Thai-Burma border without an official visa—charges that human rights groups labeled as politically motivated.

While detained, Gambira petitioned unsuccessfully for bail, citing mental health issues that resulted from severe torture while imprisoned by the former military regime for his involvement in the 2007 pro-democracy uprising led by Buddhist clergy. He is still receiving medical care for these issues.

"We do not understand why authorities still want to keep him in prison and are unearthing cases from 2012 just days before his release," his mother added.

His six-month sentence, after time already served while detained and facing charges, would have ended July 1.

During the 2007 uprising, local authorities cracked down on thousands of protestors; hundreds of monks were arrested and several monasteries were raided and sealed off.

In 2012, shortly after a mass pardon leading to his release, U Gambira allegedly broke into some of these sealed monasteries, attempting to stay in them and stating that Buddhist monks should be permitted to live in their monasteries.

"This action defames the image of the new government and affects national tranquility because we have doubts now that the police and Ministry of Home Affairs are changing," said lawyer Robert San Aung who will assist Gambira during the upcoming trials.

"Resurrecting old, unjust cases from the era of the quasi-civilian government is suspicious. We need to ask if the new government has the authority to govern fully under the rule of law, or if the police and home affairs ministry are creating distrust between the government and the people," he added.

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Rangoon Authorities Ban Press Conference on Burma Army Torture

Posted: 27 Jun 2016 02:05 AM PDT

The cover of the Ta'ang Women's Organization's new report, "Trained to Kill," which alleges widespread torture of local communities by the Burma Army in northern Shan State. (Photo: TWO / Facebook)

RANGOON — The Rangoon division government has forced the cancellation of a press conference organized for Monday by the Ta'ang Women's Organization (TWO) for the launch of a report on human rights abuses by the Burma Army in northern Shan State, according to the TWO.

The TWO is drawn from the Ta'ang ethnic minority, also known as the Palaung, who are concentrated in northern Shan State. In recent months this area has seen fighting between a Ta'ang ethnic armed group, The Ta'ang National Liberation Army, and the Burma Army along with a Shan ethnic armed group, the Shan State Army-South. The conflict has displaced several thousand people, and all three armies have been accused of rights violations, including abducting, torturing and murdering civilians.

The TWO has issued a statement saying this was the second time in the course of a week that they had been forced to cancel a press conference in Rangoon, after local authorities instructed hotels not to let them hold one. The first instance was on Friday at the Orchid Hotel. Monday's conference was to be held at the Excel Treasure Hotel.

TWO Joint Secretary De De Poe Jaing told the Irrawaddy, "An Orchid Hotel staff member told us that the Rangoon Division government did not allow them to do it. Then, the manager from Excel said the hotel needed 'permission' to hold a conference."

"We had agreed already with the hotel [Excel] that, if the police came, we would deal with it. But, the hotel manager called me back and told me that we could not hold the press conference," said De De Poe Jaing.

De De Poe Jaing said both hotels had been under pressure from the authorities—the Excel hotel even said Special Branch, a plain-clothed branch of the police that relies on a network of local informers, had come to the hotel and told them not to allow the conference.

TWO's new report, entitled "Trained to Torture," compiles accounts from ethnic Palaung victims of torture by the Burma Army from 2012-2016.

"We collected data about rights abuses and have accused the Burma Army of torturing local people [in Shan State] over the course of five years. The report has targeted the Burma Army directly. This could be why they did not let us hold the press conference," De De Poe Jaing said.

TWO said in their statement after the cancellation that there should be no restrictions on freedom of expression and information as the country undergoes political reforms, and people should have the right to report on and expose human rights abuses.

"These reforms have been unable to touch the Burma Army. We feel the Burma Army still has influence over government," she said.

"We feel now that the new government is no better than the former government, and may be even worse," she added, suggesting that they would have been able to hold the press conference in Rangoon under the previous administration.

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Wa National Organization Denies Involvement in Drug Trade

Posted: 27 Jun 2016 12:42 AM PDT

Wa leader Ta Ma Ha, also known as Ma Ma (seated left), at a press conference at a narcotics control office in Chiang Mai, Thailand on Thursday. (Photo: Manager Online)

CHIANG MAI, Thailand — The Wa National Organization (WNO), the political wing of an ethnic Wa armed group, has announced that it had no involvement in the actions of one of its former leaders, Ta Ma Ha (also known as Ma Ma) who was arrested in Chiang Mai for drug trafficking last week.

Ta Ma Ha, the vice-chairman of the WNO, was arrested in Chiang Mai with 10 kilograms of pure methamphetamine, 7.5 kilograms of raw opium and 26,400 methamphetamine pills on June 21.

Thai police officials from the Office of Narcotics Control Board also said they seized 6.8 million baht (nearly US$200,000) in cash during the arrest.

In a statement released by the WNO on Sunday, the organization said it has no "links" with the drug seizure and the drugs did not originate from territories under its control, claiming they came from Chiang Dao town in Chiang Mai Province, northern Thailand.

The WNO also said Ta Ma Ha has had no contact with the organization for five months, and due to this they temporarily suspended him from his position of vice chairman during an emergency meeting on May 2-3.

Maj Ta Aik Nyunt, general secretary of the WNO, told The Irrawaddy on Monday, "We dismissed him [Ta Ma Ha] and removed him from all of his positions because he violated our rules [against drug trafficking]."

"He often visited Chiang Mai and didn’t inform us. He just said he was visiting his relatives. He didn’t tell us about his recent trip," said Ta Aik Nyunt.

The statement said the WNO enforces a ban on illicit drug trading and has been working on anti-drug trafficking campaigns in its territories with its ethnic allies as well as Thai anti-drug trafficking forces.

It also said the WNO has a policy to warn, suspend and dismiss its members who abuse power, violate the ethics of the organization or engage in any activities that would damage their image.

The WNO is a member of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), an alliance of nine ethnic armed organizations who are engaging in talks with the Burmese government but have not signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), a peace deal signed last year under the former government of President Thein Sein.

The WNO's Ta Aik Nyunt also said he had not received any comments from the UNFC, but his organization plans to apologize for its former vice-chairman's actions.

"We will apologize to them because [the arrest] also damaged their image. We feel sad and are sorry for what he [Ta Ma Ha] did," said Ta Aik Nyunt.

One of the WNO’s previous leaders, Mahasang, was also arrested in Chiang Mai for participating in the illicit drug trade and died in prison.

The WNO's military wing, the Wa National Army, operates in northern Shan State and near the Thai-Burma border.

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China Touts New Bank’s Greater Understanding of Developing World

Posted: 26 Jun 2016 10:20 PM PDT

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) President Jin Liqun at a news conference in Beijing January 17, 2016. (Photo: Kim Kyung-Hoon / REUTERS)

BEIJING, China — The China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will be different from institutions like the World Bank because it has a greater understanding of the developing world’s needs, officials said on Sunday at its first annual meeting.

Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the bank two years ago and it began operations in January, with 57 founding member countries and $100 billion in committed capital, which it plans to invest in projects across the region.

The AIIB, which intends to invest $1.2 billion this year, has said it is aiming to meet international standards of governance, though some members say there is still work to be done.

Speaking on the final day of the bank’s inaugural annual meeting, Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei said the AIIB needed to establish its niche.

"The AIIB needs to establish its comparative advantage relative to existing multilateral development banks like the World Bank," Lou said.

"…Compared with the Asian Development Bank, World Bank and other multilateral development banks, the AIIB’s advantage lies in its keener understanding of the successful experience and lessons of developing countries’ years of development."

The AIIB’s board approved its first four deals worth $509 million on Friday, with three projects co-financed with the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the United Kingdom Department for International Development and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

The co-financed projects are a slum renovation in Indonesia and highway construction in Pakistan and Tajikistan. A power grid upgrade project in Bangladesh will be solely AIIB financed.

AIIB President Jin Liqun said it was the focus on infrastructure that specifically marked out the bank as different and that they were committed to the concept of international best practice.

"The question is, how do you define international best practice? I will not agree to anything which could be considered international best practice unless this kind best practice incorporates the development experience of China and many countries in Asia and elsewhere over the last three or four decades," Jin said.

"So our bank would like to have the development experience, the so-called international best practice, reflecting the experience of China, India (and) so many countries in Asia. So we should have a different model of development."

The AIIB is also looking to expand its numbers this year and will take applications for new members through the end of September.

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