The Irrawaddy Magazine |
- Hot Air Balloon Development in Rangoon Park
- Ethnic Affairs Center Publishes Federal Policies to Bring to Negotiating Table
- Burma Army Clashes with Nationwide Ceasefire Signatory Group in Shan State
- YCDC Prepares to Tame Rangoon’s Street Vendors
- Central Bank to Take Action Against Manipulation of the Exchange Rate
- Thai PM Prayuth Moves to Allay Flood Fears
- Malaysia Military Helicopter Crashes into School, Injures 23
- Many Rangoon Residents Unjustly Denied Citizenship Cards, Say Lawmakers
- One Injured in Burma-India Border Town Shooting
- US Gem Traders Eye Bilateral Trade
- Police: Loudspeakers Require Permission
- Ten Things to Do in Rangoon This Week
- Hlawga National Park: a Rangoon Weekend Escape, with Monkeys
| Hot Air Balloon Development in Rangoon Park Posted: 04 Oct 2016 08:30 AM PDT  A tourist takes picture at the area of Kandawgyi Park designated as a hot-air balloon launch site on Oct 4. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — City officials said they are planning to allow a private company to develop a hot air balloon launch site in one of the greenest areas in Rangoon as a "tourist attraction and public entertainment." U Ko Ko Lin, the head of Yangon City Development Committee's (YCDC) Playgrounds, Park and Gardens Department, confirmed to The Irrawaddy that Myanmar Voyage International Tourism proposed that a 40,000 square feet lawn in Kandawgyi Park to be used as a hot air balloon launch site. "An initial survey has been done for the site," he said. Myanmar Voyage International Tourism Company is run by U Thet Lwin Toe, who is also the chairman of Myanmar Tourism Federation. The 110-acre park is beside the famous Shwedagon Pagoda and surrounds Kandawgyi Lake, one of two major lakes in Rangoon. Mostly covered with large trees, the park provides outdoor space for recreation and relaxation. Daw Hlaing Maw Oo, the Secretary of the YCDC, told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that only the lawn would be developed and on the condition that the surrounding trees, lanes and lake are not affected. "Construction of any permanent building on the site is not allowed. We will not tolerate any damage to the trees, lanes and lake," she said. "We will only permit use of the lawn which does not have any big trees. Currently the space features topiary and is only used for taking photographs, not for the public to exercise," she added. The Secretary explained that the hot-air balloon will not fly over the lake and park. Instead, it will rise from the site to provide visitors a birds-eye view of the area while remaining tethered to the ground. The plan emerged at a time when Rangoon residents and YCDC are struggling to reclaim public spaces. Many parks and football grounds were sold off to businessmen for developments during the previous military regime and under the former administration led by Thein Sein. "We are trying our best to preserve public spaces. But when it comes to tourist attractions and public entertainment, we will allow development to some extent as long as it doesn't affect the surrounding environment," Daw Hlaing Maw Oo said. The post Hot Air Balloon Development in Rangoon Park appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Ethnic Affairs Center Publishes Federal Policies to Bring to Negotiating Table Posted: 04 Oct 2016 08:11 AM PDT  Ethnic Mon children who study in a community-based Mon National Education Committee school, display chalkboards donated to them by a monk (pictured) in Kawpehtaw village, Mudon Township Mon State, on Oct. 4, 2016. At a press conference on the same day, representatives from the Ethnic Nationalities Affairs Center spoke at length about the importance of implementing mother tongue based education in Burma's ethnic states for both its practical and peacebuilding benefits. (Photo: Seik Nadi / Facebook) A draft report outlining federal policies in nine thematic areas was released on Tuesday by the Ethnic Nationalities Affairs Center (ENAC), a group working in support of the peace process between ethnic armed organizations and the Burmese government. Ethnic political parties, ethnic armed group representatives and civil society and community-based organizations were among those who contributed to the development of the policies in the report, which cover health, education, land, natural resources, agriculture, internal displacement, trade and investment, humanitarian aid and taxes. Two ENAC representatives spoke at a press conference in Rangoon on Tuesday about the draft report, including vice chairman of the United Nationalities Federal Council—an ethnic armed group coalition—Nai Hong Sar, who is also a chairperson within ENAC. Yaw Htung, an ENAC program director, also represented the organization at the event. "We are trying to solve our political conflict at the [negotiating] table. We are even trying to solve other problems, concerning health and education, and other social issues. So we have issued as a draft report our nine policies which are intended to support our peace process," said Nai Hong Sar. These "bottom-up" policies, he explained, are needed in order to move Burma closer to a federal system in which power is shared and equal rights are guaranteed. Rights groups have long criticized current and former government policies as being highly centralized and failing to meet the needs of those in the country's ethnic states. ENAC representatives explained that the report will play a crucial role in ethnic armed groups' and ethnic political parties' future political dialogue with the Burmese government. The report is referred to as a draft, they pointed out, because it is a work in progress; future sections could be added, and current policies modified based on advice from the public. "It is important to have defense and political policies, but we have not done that yet. We are trying to write as many different policies as we can, in order to best solve our conflict," Nai Hong Sar said. Ethnic Language Education Nai Hong Sar spoke at length on the importance of ethnic education, advocating for the central government to allow ethnic nationality children study their mother tongue in school. He described these children as having "great talent" but that it was being used to memorize the Burmese language, rather than explore their other abilities. Regarding a trial of mother tongue based education, he asked, "what is there to lose?" Such a movement would help to build unity and trust and could even address the ongoing conflict in Burma, as ethnic minorities have long demanded greater decentralization and autonomy, Nai Hong Sar said. He cited Singapore as an example of a prosperous country that teaches three languages, in addition to English: Malay, Chinese, and Tamil. The ENAC chairperson also reminded reporters at the event of the struggle undertaken by Burman students to study Burmese when the country was under British rule. Yet after Burma gained its independence from Britain, the Burmese government did not allow smaller ethnic groups to study their own languages. "Some Burmese did not sympathize with our ethnic groups. They should understand our feelings. Our ethnic people carried out armed revolution, as we did not get anything when we asked for our rights," said Nai Hong Sar. Critics of the plan say that implementing an ethnic language education program would be too costly, as well as complicated, since some groups speak more than one dialect. But ENAC Program Director Yaw Htung said that language in education is a rights issue. "If they say the government has to spend a lot of budget, this will mean that they have not accepted human rights," he said. Nai Hong Sar echoed this sentiment. "This is not a problem for the government—[such groups] have to solve their own problems, and they will know how. You should give them their rights first; you should not block it. Then, they will solve it on their own," he said. The post Ethnic Affairs Center Publishes Federal Policies to Bring to Negotiating Table appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Burma Army Clashes with Nationwide Ceasefire Signatory Group in Shan State Posted: 04 Oct 2016 06:13 AM PDT  Burma Army combat gear seized by the Shan State Army-South. (Photo: RCSS) The Burma Army clashed with the Shan State Army-South (SSA-S) over two days in central Shan State, after the Burma Army attacked a drug rehabilitation camp set up by the SSA-S in the Warn Lee area of Mong Kung Township on Saturday, according to SSA-S spokesman Lt-Col Sai Mein. The Shan State Army-South, whose political wing is known as the Restoration Council of Shan State, was among eight ethnic armed groups that signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Accord (NCA) with the previous government in October last year. Since then, its relations with the Burma Army have been relatively positive. "Without warning, the Burma Army attacked a drug rehabilitation camp in an area of our control and released criminals from the prison there. We did not deploy troops at the camp; it is managed by local villagers," Lt-Col Sai Mein told The Irrawaddy. On Saturday evening, they launched attacks on a hill where SSA-S troops were deployed, and clashes continued the following day, he said. On Monday, SSA-S headquarters ordered their troops to retreat, with Burma Army troops withdrawing at the same time, he said. The SSA-S claimed no injuries or casualties on their side, and could not comment on losses on the Burma Army side, but claimed to have seized six rucksacks and several landmines, grenades and bullets from the Burma Army. "[The Burma Army] has contacted our liaison offices for talks, but this is just not enough after they launched an offensive against us. It is in breach of the NCA, and I think they are deliberately harming the peace," said Lt-Col Sai Mein. The Irrawaddy contacted the Burma Army's Directorate of Public Relations and Psychological Warfare but was unable to obtain comment. The clashes have forced over 2,000 locals—including women, children and the elderly—from their homes, with two monasteries providing temporary shelter, according to Sai Hsai Mein, a Lower House lawmaker representing Mong Kung Township who, alongside other lawmakers, is aiding relief efforts and food provision. At least seven schools have been closed following the clashes, and the locals that remain dare not leave their houses to pursue their livelihoods. "I have grown up amid gunfire in Mong Kung. We have seen relative peace in the past three to four years, and it is not good for the people for clashes to resume. I want the problems to be solved at the [negotiating] table rather than with guns. In every armed clash, it is the locals who suffer," lawmaker Sai Hsai Mein told The Irrawaddy. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. The post Burma Army Clashes with Nationwide Ceasefire Signatory Group in Shan State appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| YCDC Prepares to Tame Rangoon’s Street Vendors Posted: 04 Oct 2016 06:08 AM PDT  Food vendors on Sule Pagoda Road in downtown Rangoon. (Photo: Pyay Kyaw / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Rangoon's municipal authority is registering individual street vendors in an effort to manage the spread of street stalls downtown and ease pedestrian movement through the commercial capital's increasingly congested streets. Since late September, the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) has been collecting data on vendors in the city's four most congested townships, located in the downtown grid—Lanmadaw, Latha, Pabedan and Kyauktada. The YCDC claims that streets vendors in those townships have been contributing to unmanageable foot-traffic during peak hours. Street vendors were photographed individually, and the YCDC recorded their names, fingerprints, the locations of their stalls and the goods they were selling. According to the data collected by YCDC officers, street vendors number at least 5,000 across the four townships, with more than 1,000 in each township. However, these numbers don't reflect the true population of vendors, since some are prone to change their locations, U Kyaw Aye, YCDC executive officer for Lanmadaw Township, told The Irrawaddy. Daw Than Myint Aung, a member of the YCDC's executive board, told The Irrawaddy on Monday that the registration process would enable a more "systematic" arrangement of street vendors in Rangoon, who would operate at "designated locations during fixed hours." Further details have yet to be disclosed, since the project is still at an early stage, she explained. Street vendors who spoke to The Irrawaddy said that YCDC officials told them during the registration process that they would be relocated to somewhere on Strand Road. Ma Mya Mya Thway, who sells mohinga—the traditional Burmese fish-based noodle soup—at the corner of 35th Street and Mahabandula Road, told The Irrawaddy that she doesn't want to move, because she has been selling at that location for seven years. "If we were relocated, we would have to attract new customers at the new place," she explained. She expressed greater openness to the idea of fixed hours. The Yangon Heritage Trust's recently published conservation and development strategy recommends that guidelines and regulations be designed in partnership with vendors, ensuring "safety and pedestrian priority while still allowing vendors to function." "They [the vendors] should not impede pedestrian flow or access across a footpath from buildings to car parking," it said. The Yangon Heritage Trust also recommends that vendors be "relicensed," and that umbrellas attached to stalls [providing vendors with shelter form the sun and rain] should be positioned with "a minimum clearance of 7 feet to allow free passage of pedestrians." The post YCDC Prepares to Tame Rangoon's Street Vendors appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Central Bank to Take Action Against Manipulation of the Exchange Rate Posted: 04 Oct 2016 06:04 AM PDT  A stack of 1,000-kyat bank notes is seen as employees count money at Yoma Bank in Rangoon. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — Burma's Central Bank announced on Monday that it would take action against those manipulating the dollar exchange rate and "playing the market" as the kyat experiences a significant decrease in value. The dollar exchange rate on the black market recently reached around 1,280 kyats per dollar, while the Central Bank's exchange rate reached 1,260 kyats as of October 4. The amount has been significantly increasing since mid-September. "Some say the increased dollar exchange rate is due to private banks' reduced call deposit rate, but I can say that is not true: it happened because of market players," a spokesperson from the Central Bank told The Irrawaddy. "If some players start rumors and play the market based on incorrect news to push the dollar rate, we will take action against them by working with the authorities. It's a police case," he said. In the Central Bank's announcement on Monday, they also reiterated current deposit rates and highlighted their impacts on the banking sector. There are four types of deposits available in private banks—saving, fixed, current, and call deposits. Saving deposits and fixed deposits typically make up around 80 percent of total bank deposits; current deposits account for just 13 percent and do not earn interest. Call deposits—used for investment funds and newly introduced in Burma—make up an even smaller amount at 7 percent. The minimum interest rate on saving deposits and fixed deposits has been set at 8 percent by the Central Bank, which does not set rates on call deposits. According to the announcement, a lower interest rate on call deposits would not have a large impact; few people cite this as a reason for withdrawing call deposit savings. According to this rationale, the bank argued, it is incorrect to attribute an increased exchange rate to a mass withdrawal of savings and exchange to dollars due to low interest rates. U Soe Thein, senior executive director of Asia Green Development Bank said that he agreed with the Central Bank's reasoning, pointing out that call deposit rates were only cut by some banks and would not have a large impact on the dollar exchange rate. "Some private banks tried to persuade their clients by paying high call deposit interest rates, but now they can't. This does not directly impact all industry and exchange rate increases," U Soe Thein said. "There are many things that could cause those dollar exchange rate increases in the market, because there is a high demand," he said. U Min Zaw, a rice trader, said it is important that the Central Bank find a way to control the recent increase in the dollar exchange rate as it is having an impact on local businesses. "If the Central Bank can control this rate with some international loans, the exchange rate may decline again," he said. The post Central Bank to Take Action Against Manipulation of the Exchange Rate appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Thai PM Prayuth Moves to Allay Flood Fears Posted: 04 Oct 2016 05:44 AM PDT  A Buddhist monk paddles a boat down a flooded street in Nonthaburi province, on the outskirts of Bangkok Nov. 26, 2011. (Photo: Chaiwat Subprasom / Reuters) RELIGION) BANGKOK, Thailand — As Thailand's rainy season peaks, the government is taking steps to avoid a repeat of devastating floods in 2011 that killed hundreds of people and cost billions of dollars, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Tuesday. Floods in the past few weeks, and an overflow of water from the Chao Phraya River, have inundated communities north of Bangkok, the capital, prompting government critics to warn of a repeat of floods in 2011 that killed more than 900 people. Southeast Asia's second-biggest economy registered annual growth of just 0.1 percent that year, after the floods hit industrial estates, crippling the electronics and auto sectors, before sweeping down into Bangkok. But this time round, the floods in the northern and central regions are manageable, Prayuth told reporters. "The government is doing everything it can to manage the water, but in some areas it is flooding because of heavy rain and because other areas are low-lying," he said. These steps range from diverting the excess flows to water storage sites to keeping close watch on dam levels, although the latter are not yet cause for alarm. The government says about 96,000 hectares (237,000 acres) of farmland have been affected by the floods, or less than 1 percent of agricultural land. Managing water supplies in largely agrarian Thailand has proved a challenge for successive governments, with the government of then Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra being criticized for mismanaging the 2011 crisis. The military toppled Yingluck's populist government in a 2014 coup following months of street protests, saying it had to step in to prevent violence and restore order. Prayuth is expected to visit the central province of Ayutthaya, home to several big industrial estates, on Wednesday, to inspect flood damage there. The post Thai PM Prayuth Moves to Allay Flood Fears appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Malaysia Military Helicopter Crashes into School, Injures 23 Posted: 04 Oct 2016 05:31 AM PDT  A member of the Malaysia military wipes his face during rehearsals for Independence Day, or Merdeka Day, in Kuala Lumpur in 2015. (Photo: Olivia Harris/Reuters) KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — A Malaysian military helicopter crashed into a school Tuesday in a rural area on Borneo island, injuring at least 23 people including students, authorities said. The helicopter made the emergency crash landing at a high school in Tawau in Sabah state about two hours into the routine training flight, the air force said. It said all 14 people on board the plane survived, and that it will investigate the cause of the crash. District police chief Fadil Marcus said the helicopter hit the roof of a school building before it crashed down onto part of the school canteen. He said the pilot was in critical condition and that all the military personnel have been hospitalized. Another eight students and a school worker also suffered light injuries and have been treated, he added. The post Malaysia Military Helicopter Crashes into School, Injures 23 appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Many Rangoon Residents Unjustly Denied Citizenship Cards, Say Lawmakers Posted: 04 Oct 2016 05:26 AM PDT  The Rangoon Division parliament, in an earlier session. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Lawmakers in Rangoon's divisional parliament on Tuesday pressed the government on behalf of constituents facing delays and difficulties in obtaining citizenship documentation, which was attributed partly to corruption among lower-level officials. A divisional government representative responded that action would be taken against officials soliciting bribes in exchange for the timely issuing of citizenship cards, but countered that the proper scrutiny of citizenship applicants was a lengthy process, sometimes involving different administrative levels. National League for Democracy (NLD) lawmaker U Thein Myint, who represents Tamwe Township (Constituency-2), asked whether the government would help residents of the township obtain naturalized or associate citizenship cards. These cards denote subordinate forms of citizenship, which many in Burma who do not belong to the government's list of "recognized" ethnic groups must accept, receiving fewer rights than under "full" citizenship. Another NLD lawmaker, U Hla Htay, who represents Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township (Constituency-2), said local students had been unable to obtain degree certificates or recommendation letters from their universities for lack of citizenship documentation, in cases where citizenship applications had been left pending with local authorities for "several years." Obtaining citizenship cards is "very difficult" for many in the township, he said, citing statistics in the 2014 national census that over 1.4 million people in Rangoon Division were without any form of citizenship documentation [with 11.2 million nationwide, 27.3 per cent of the population]. The Arakanese ethnic affairs minister for Rangoon Division, U Zaw Aye Maung of the Arakan National Party, responded in lieu of the Immigration department, admitting that corrupt officials created obstacles to obtaining documentation. U Zaw Aye Maung said that the Union-level Minister of Labor, Immigration and Population U Thein Swe had already ordered that officials receiving or asking for bribes from applicants to be disciplined—if evidence is supplied. He urged affected applicants to complain to the government about corrupt officials with "concrete evidence." If applicants meet all the requirements, and submit all the required documents to the Immigration department, officials are obliged to issue citizenship documentation "without hesitation," he said. "If [officials] fail to act quickly, please come and complain to me. We will take action against the officials," he pledged. However, he said it was the "duty" of government officials to thoroughly inspect the "background" of all applicants, given that Burma is "surrounded" by highly populated countries such as China and Bangladesh. He noted that those of "mixed blood" faced a more complex and lengthy process: their applications require approval from the divisional level before any citizenship documentation is issued—or denied. He added that those applicants submitting false documentation or background information will be "punished" according to Burma's citizenship laws. The Arakanese ethnic affairs minister went on to describe "illegal migrants" from Bangladesh who had lived in Rangoon for several decades and grown rich from running construction projects, while never applying for a genuine citizenship card. "Even I have a friend who is Bengali and he has a fake [citizenship] ID card," he said. The NLD lawmaker representing Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township said there were students in his constituency who had previously received citizenship cards intended for minors, but had been unable to obtain updated citizenship cards after reaching 18 years of age. The Arakanese ethnic affairs minister said, "Give me that list, please. I will go directly to the [Immigration] department to investigate." The post Many Rangoon Residents Unjustly Denied Citizenship Cards, Say Lawmakers appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| One Injured in Burma-India Border Town Shooting Posted: 04 Oct 2016 05:20 AM PDT  Nang Pha Lone Market in Tamu. (Photo: Zoin.info) One man was injured in a shooting in Tamu on Sunday, a town on the Burma-India border in Sagaing Division, according to members of a border monitoring committee made up of civil society representatives and trade merchants. The shooting occurred in the afternoon near Tamu's Nang Pha Lone market; in the evening, a bomb also exploded on the Tamu-Moreh border near Banka village, west of Nang Pha Lone. No one was injured in the bomb blast. Armed groups including National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) and a Manipuri armed group are active in the area and there are sporadic shootings between groups, said U Kyaw Thet Win, a member of the border monitoring committee. "Such shootings usually happen between armed groups. Border security is weak here. Those who go to India from here have to undergo checks, but [those from India] can enter and exit here as they like," U Kyaw Thet Win told The Irrawaddy. The victim reportedly belongs to the NSCN-K. He was injured in the abdominal region and is receiving medical treatment at Kale Township People's Hospital for what were described as minor wounds. The border monitoring committee, citing the accounts of eyewitnesses, said around four people were involved in the shooting and that they reportedly crossed the border and fled to India after the attack. The reason for the attack is not yet clear and investigations into the case are ongoing, an officer from the Tamu Township police force told The Irrawaddy. But he refused to talk about further details such as the frequency of shootings and their fatality rates. The Upper Chindwin Youth Network said it is discussing with local civil society organizations whether to stage a demonstration to demand that the government provide better security for residents in Tamu. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. The post One Injured in Burma-India Border Town Shooting appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| US Gem Traders Eye Bilateral Trade Posted: 04 Oct 2016 05:15 AM PDT  Members of US delegation of gem traders meet with the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers and Commerce Industry (UMFCCI). (Photo: UMFCCI) RANGOON – US gem traders interested in bilateral trade with Burma met with officials from the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers and Commerce Industry (UMFCCI) in Rangoon on Monday. President of the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA), Jeffrey Bilgore, led a delegation of five to meet the UMFCCI's vice chairman, Dr. Maung Maung Lay and members of the Myanmar Gems and Jewelry Entrepreneurs' Association (MGJEA) to discuss the gem market in Burma. Bilgore said the main purpose of the delegates' visit was to re-establish direct lines of commerce between Burma and the United States, a joint statement said. "Our goal in coming here is to show and to demonstrate to the world that the gem sector in Myanmar is as worthy as any in the world and that commerce can only help all of us improve and make democracy stronger," Bilgore said. The 35-year-old AGTA promotes transparent supply chains and honest business dealings in the global gem industry. The statement also said that Burma's gem industry is comparable to any other in the world. "Our goal here is to help in the development of the new rules, to show you how we do business and hopefully we can help each other grow," Bilgore said. This is the first meeting between US gem traders and Burmese gem traders since US president Barak Obama pledged to lift economic sanctions on Burma last month. Dr. Maung Maung Lay told The Irrawaddy that US traders are particularly interested in Burma's famous rubies. "They've asked us about the recent situation of gem exports and government regulations, they really want our rubies for the world market," he said. He added that recently gem exports have been barred by Burma's government, though some illegal trade persists. "The gem market is big, if the government can make good regulations and collect tax from gem exports, we can earn a lot of foreign currency. Rubies are small but if we can make value added products, it will be a huge market for us," Dr. Maung Maung Lay said. Dr. Aung Kyaw Win, prominent local jeweler and vice-chair of the MGJEA, said it was important for Burma to conduct socially responsible and sustainable business, according to the statement. He said the previous government concentrated only on rough gemstones but greater emphasis should be placed on "value-added" gems for Burma to become more competitive. "The most important thing is the sustainable development, without doing human resource development, we cannot have sustainability," he said in the statement. He added that the government should make three major changes to its industry policy: introduce precise and realistic import-export procedures, review import-export duties to discourage illegal trade, and to form a regulatory autonomous body for gems and jewelry trade promotion. "Myanmar value-added jewelers export is earning no more than US$20 million every year while Thailand receives more than $1 billion," he said. "Our association [MGJEA] has already submitted a human resource-based master plan to develop value-added industries in our country. It will enhance trade volume." An attendee of the meeting, Peter Kucik of Inle Advisory Group, said in the statement that US sanctions on Burma businesses, including those on the gem industry, could be lifted "as soon as this week." The post US Gem Traders Eye Bilateral Trade appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Police: Loudspeakers Require Permission Posted: 04 Oct 2016 05:09 AM PDT  Children use loudspeakers to solicit charitable donations. (Photo: Thaw Hein Htet/The Irrawaddy) RANGOON – The use of loudspeakers requires prior approval of local administrators and unlawful use is punishable under the existing Ward or Village Tract Administration Law, according to the Burma Police Force. "If a speaker is loud enough to cause a public nuisance it needs approval and there are legal punishments for violation," Col. Zaw Win Aung, a spokesperson of the Burma Police Force Police, told The Irrawaddy. "Playing music through normal speakers is OK as long as they do not disturb others." Under the Ward or Village Tract Administration Law, an application to use a loudspeaker must be submitted three days in advance stating the purpose, date, and time of use. Failure to do so is punishable with a fine of up to 5,000 kyats or up to seven days in prison. A by-law of the provision states loudspeakers are only allowed between 6am and 9pm to avoid causing public nuisance. U Nay Myo Kyaw, a minister of the Magwe Division government, said the Ward or Village Tract Administration Law enacted under the previous government granted authority of loudspeaker use to administrators, but that the law is usually only applied to political campaigns. "I have seen people engaged in politics prosecuted by the government under the provision regarding the use of loudspeakers," he said. "In some cases administrators give impunity to those who they get on well with but apply the law to those who they don't see eye to eye with. This is not fair." U Nay Myo Kyaw also said that for the sake of rule of law, citizens should complain to the concerned authorities if they are disturbed by noise pollution. In Burma, loudspeakers are often used for religious occasions such as reciting religious verses and alms-giving to Buddhist monks during Buddhist Lent and other donation ceremonies. Despite the law prohibiting loudspeakers, citizens rarely complain to administrators and the law is not often applied. The country's loudspeaker culture is an old custom within Burmese society, Daw Zin Mar Aung, Lower House lawmaker representing Rangoon's Yankin Township, told The Irrawaddy. "Personally, I don't like [loudspeakers]. They are too noisy," said Daw Zin Mar Aung. "This conflict will continue," she said. "The best option is to follow the wishes of the majority, but there will always be some people who continue to use loudspeakers." Dr. Htet Aung, an official at the Ministry of Health and Sports in Naypyidaw, said though he loves Burma's cultural traditions inherited from ancestors, he can't stand the country's loudspeaker culture. "It is irritating and I lose patience, but I dare not complain as I am concerned that I would be criticized as irreligious," he told The Irrawaddy. "Sometimes, the speakers talk not only about religious things, but also their grievances over political, economic and social issues of the country," U Ko Ko Naing, a member of the Union Parliament’s Legal Affairs and Special Cases Assessment Commission, said that he has no comments on the use of loudspeaker since amendments to Ward or Village Tract Administration Law is still under debate at the two houses. Dutch tourist Klaas Hajitema is currently on trial in Mandalay's Maha Aung Myay Township on charges of violating visa regulations and insulting religion after he unplugged an amplifier used in a Dhamma recitation by Buddhist devotees at the township's Dhamma Yone community hall, opposite his hotel. When the news about Klaas Haijtema broke, the case went viral on social media and attracted mixed reactions. "It's time to review the regulations for the use of loudspeakers. Whoever you are, we can't escape from that terrible nuisance to our ears!" posted one critic on Facebook. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. The post Police: Loudspeakers Require Permission appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Ten Things to Do in Rangoon This Week Posted: 03 Oct 2016 11:45 PM PDT ONE Championship: State of Warriors Mixed martial arts competition, ONE Championship, is back in Rangoon this week with ethnic Kachin fighter Aung La Nsang, dubbed the "Burmese Python," taking on Poland's Michal Pasternak. Call 01-549297 for tickets. Where: Thuwunna National Indoor Stadium, Waizayandar Rd., Thuwunna, Thingangyun Tsp When: Friday, October 7. 7pm.
A musical extravaganza in memory of Burma's celebrated late vocalist Hlwan Moe will be held at the National Theater. Tickets from 10,000 to 40,000 kyats. Where: National Theater, Myoma Kyaung Street, Dagon Tsp. When: Saturday, October 8. From 6pm.
Household and office furniture will fill the Tatmadaw Exhibition Hall for the Yangon International Lifestyle Furniture Fair. Apart from picking up a few pieces for your home or workplace, there are a number of lucky draw competitions to keep you entertained. Where: Tatmadaw Exhibition Hall, U Wisara Road. When: Thursday, October 6 to Monday, October 10. 9am to 5pm
To mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Burma and Singapore, the Singapore Festival will be held for the first time in Rangoon with special promotions on all things Burma and Singapore, from air tickets to cultural shows. Plus, there's more lucky draws… Where: Myanmar Plaza, No. 192 Kabar Aye Pagoda Road, Bahan Tsp. Tel:09-786999678 When: Saturday, October 8 to Sunday, October 9. 10am to 9pm.
Put on your glad rags and see and be "scene" as Rangoon's premier fashion show brings the latest fashion trends from around the world together with enthralling live entertainment. By the way, it's free. Where: Shwe Htut Tin Compound, beside Sky Star Hotel, East Horse Racing Course Road, Tamwe Tsp. Tel: 09-451010789; 09-965010789 When: Friday, October 7 to Sunday, October 9. 6pm to 9pm.
Feeling over worked and under paid? Those of you looking for new employment should grasp this opportunity to meet trading and telecommunications companies with over 100 positions on offer. Where: International Business Center (IBC), 88 Pyay Rd, Hlaing Tsp. When: Sunday, October 9. 9pm to 4pm.
Local artist Than Htay's solo exhibition will showcase around 20 paintings depicting the spectacular scenery of Chin State. Where: Ahla Thit Art Gallery, 17 University Avenue Road, Bahan Tsp. Tel: 09-31035920 When: Saturday, October 8 to Monday, October 17. 9am to 5pm.
Lokanat will present an exhibition of the art, textiles, costumes, and accessories of Burma's different ethnic groups. Where: Lokanat Galleries, No.62, First Floor, Pansodan Street, Kyauktada Tsp. When: Saturday, October 8 to Wednesday, October 19. 9am to 5pm.
This group art exhibition of 18 artists will showcase around 100 watercolor, acrylic and oil paintings depicting Burmese culture and the country's ethnic mix. Where: Ayerwon Art Gallery at No. 903–904, U Ba Kyi Street, 58 Ward, Seikkan Tsp. Tel: 09-45005 7167 When: Saturday, October 8 to Wednesday, October 19. 9am to 5pm.
A group art exhibition at New Treasure Art Gallery will showcase over 200 paintings. There's no rush as the exhibition is on for three months. Where: New Treasure Art Gallery, No. 84/A, Thanlwin Rd., Golden Hill Avenue, Bahan Tsp. Tel: 01-526776, 503712 When: Saturday, October 8 until January 2017. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko
The post Ten Things to Do in Rangoon This Week appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Hlawga National Park: a Rangoon Weekend Escape, with Monkeys Posted: 03 Oct 2016 10:43 PM PDT              RANGOON— A home for hundreds of animal species, Hlawga National Park in Rangoon's Mingaladon Township marked its twenty-seventh year on Friday. Established in 1981 as a nature reserve and opened to the public in 1989, the 1,540-acre national park provides a weekend escape for city residents, located just 20 miles (32 kilometers) from the noise and bustle of downtown Rangoon. Among the various mammal, fish, bird, butterfly and amphibian species, monkeys are the most populous inhabitants, numbering between one and two thousand, according to the Htoo Zoos and Gardens Business Unit, the developer—owned by one of Burma's most prominent military-linked tycoons, Tay Za—that took over the park from the forestry ministry in late 2010. The post Hlawga National Park: a Rangoon Weekend Escape, with Monkeys appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
The Irrawaddy picks 10 interesting events happening in Rangoon this week.
Hlwan Moe Commemoration Concert
Furniture Fair
Singapore Festival
Myanmar International Fashion Week
Yangon Job Fair 2016
Picturesque
Made in Myanmar
Glory of Emotion 
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