Saturday, May 6, 2017

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

China Seeks up to 85 Percent Stake in Kyaukphyu Port

Posted: 05 May 2017 10:32 PM PDT

RANGOON — China is looking to take a stake of up to 85 percent in a strategically important sea port in Burma, according to documents reviewed by Reuters, in a move that could heighten tensions over China's growing economic clout in the country.

Beijing has been pushing for preferential access to the deep sea port of Kyaukphyu on the Bay of Bengal, as part of its ambitious "One Belt, One Road" infrastructure investment plan to deepen its links with economies throughout Asia and beyond.

A consortium led by China's CITIC Group has proposed taking a 70-85 percent stake in the $7.3 billion deep sea port, according to negotiating documents seen by Reuters and three people familiar with the talks between the Chinese state-owned conglomerate and Burma's civilian government.

The size of the proposed Chinese stake is substantially larger than the 50/50 joint venture proposed by Burma late last year, an offer rejected by CITIC, said two people involved in the talks.

Well-placed sources told Reuters last month that China had signaled it was willing to abandon the controversial $3.6 billion Myitsone dam project in Burma, but would be looking in return for concessions on other strategic opportunities in the Southeast Asian nation—including the Bay of Bengal port.

Kyaukphyu is important for China because the port is the entry point for a Chinese oil and gas pipeline which gives it an alternative route for energy imports from the Middle East that avoids the Malacca Straits, a shipping chokepoint.

The port is part of two projects, which also include an industrial park, to develop a special economic zone in Burma's western Arakan State. CITIC was awarded the lead role in both initiatives in 2015.

Beijing-based CITIC, China's biggest and oldest financial conglomerate, did not respond to several requests for comment on Friday. China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment.

Talks to Start

Negotiations between Burma and CITIC, which sources said were set to start next week in the country's commercial hub Rangoon, come amid a Chinese diplomatic push to forge better ties with its resource-rich neighbor.

Burma's leaders have traditionally been wary of domination by China.

But the country last month signed an agreement that will see oil pumped through the pipeline from Kyaukphyu across Burma to southwestern China, while leader Aung San Suu Kyi is due to visit Beijing for a summit on "One Belt, One Road", President Xi Jinping's signature policy, in mid-May.

One of the sources, who declined to be named, said CITIC was in the "driving seat" on the port project, and that Burma was unlikely to ask for a stake of more than 30 percent due to opposition from the Chinese firm.

"Some people worry that China would have the power to do anything they want and control the project if it owns 85 percent," said the person, who is familiar with the thinking of policymakers in Burma.

"But Burma doesn't have other options," the person added, citing the Burma government's financial constraints. The source did not specifically mention a quid pro quo over the Myitsone dam.

A second source close to Burma's policymakers corroborated that account, adding that Burma has agreed to choose from one of four options proposed by CITIC, leaving it with a stake ranging from 15 to 30 percent.

"Burma has no other choice but the four options given by CITIC," said the second person, who is involved in the talks.

Funding would be split between Burma and the CITIC-led consortium in proportion to the stake agreed, the two sources said.

Soe Win, who leads the management committee of the special economic zone, confirmed negotiations would start next week but declined to comment on the deal, citing the confidentiality of the talks.

Special Economic Zone

The nearly $10 billion Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone, which Burma's government has said would create an economic hub akin to Singapore covering 4,289 acres, is part of Burma's plan to boost the economy in one of its poorest regions.

A second consortium led by CITIC has also proposed taking a 51 percent stake in the $2.3 billion industrial park, an offer Burma has agreed to, said the two people involved in the talks.
Soe Win said environmental and social impact studies would soon be conducted by Burma's environmental ministry, with construction due to start in 2018.

The economic zone faces opposition from activists and residents who criticized the tender process and said the development would have a negative impact on local people.

Around 20,000 people are at risk of losing their homes and livelihoods due to land acquisition for the zone, according to the International Commission of Jurists, a human rights watchdog.

CITIC's consortiums include China Harbor Engineering Company Ltd, China Merchants Holdings, TEDA Investment Holding and Yunnan Construction Engineering Group. The only non-Chinese state-owned company involved is Thailand's Charoen Pokphand Group.

The post China Seeks up to 85 Percent Stake in Kyaukphyu Port appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Meets Queen Elizabeth for Lunch

Posted: 05 May 2017 10:05 PM PDT

LONDON, United Kingdom—Burma leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi met Britain’s Queen Elizabeth for lunch on Friday at Buckingham Palace.

Nobel laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi—who serves as Burma's foreign minister while also being de facto head of its civilian government—later met Prince Charles, heir to the throne, and his wife Camilla.

Prince William, Charles's elder son, attended the queen's lunch with Daw Aung Suu Kyi, the palace said.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who took power in April 2016 as part of a transition from military rule, has denied ethnic cleansing in the Muslim-majority Arakan State.

Attacks on Burma police border guard posts in October last year by a previously unknown insurgent group ignited the biggest crisis so far for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, with more than 75,000 Rohingya fleeing to Bangladesh in the ensuing army crackdown.

Britain's Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall meet Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at Clarence House in London. (Photo: Reuters)

The post Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Meets Queen Elizabeth for Lunch appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

The Irrawaddy Business Roundup (May 5)

Posted: 05 May 2017 08:10 PM PDT

EAC Teams With Unilever in Joint Venture

Burma's consumer products manufacturer Europe and Asia Commercial Co. Ltd (EAC) has signed a joint venture deal with global giant Unilever, combining their home and personal care businesses, Reuters reported.

The joint entity, with annual sales of more than US$109 million, will provide both companies with a complementary portfolio, better rural reach and economies of scale, said Unilever, which entered the Burma market in 2010.

The venture has a goal of tripling sales to round $330 million by 2020, Pier Luigi Sigismondi, Unilever's president for Southeast Asia and Australasia, told Reuters.

EAC, whose products include well-known brands of detergent and dishwashing liquid, will also help add to Unilever's manufacturing capabilities.

"We felt that maintaining organic growth alone will take us far, but not as far as joining forces with EAC," Sigismondi said.

"We have a factory there that produces shampoos, haircare products, and we believe that with this joint venture, we will be able to produce the rest of our personal care range in the country," he added.

Global companies have lined up to take advantage of Burma's under-penetrated market, buoyed by the growing middle class and a rise in spending.

The Asian Development Bank forecast Burma's economy, which has been opening up after decades of military dictatorship, to grow at 7.7 percent this year—the fastest among Southeast Asian countries.

Sigismondi said Unilever, which sells products such as Clear shampoo, Signal toothpaste and Rexona deodorants in Burma, might explore exporting products from the country.

Daibochi and Myanmar Smart Pack JV Gets Go-Ahead

Malaysia-based Daibochi Plastic and Packaging Industry has received approval from Burma for its joint-venture proposal to set up flexible packaging operations, the Edge Markets reported.

The group's subsidiary, Daibochi Flexibles, signed a memorandum of understanding with Myanmar Smart Pack Industrial Co Ltd (MSP) last November to form a company called Daibochi Packaging Myanmar (DPM) to manufacture and market flexible packaging within Burma and export the product to other countries.

With the approval by the Myanmar Investment Commission, Daibochi said it will proceed with the completion of the agreement.

"We target to officially commence operations in a month's time," Daibochi managing director Thomas Lim said in a statement.

Daibochi said it is investing $6.8 million in DPM for a 60 percent controlling stake. MSP is transferring its entire existing business and production assets, as well as workforce into DPM for the remaining stake.

DPM will invest an additional capital expenditure of $5.5 million over three years, and it expects to start exporting to Asian countries later this year, Lim said.

New product lines are being developed and the group will supply label packaging for a well-known beverage brand in Burma starting later this year, he added.

China Border Trade Up

Trade at Burma's border posts with China was higher in the first week of April, by more than US$40 million, than in the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

Total trade value for the week at China border points was $142.6 million according to the ministry's figures. The Muse-China border station saw the largest value trade at more than $90 million.

Trade at the Myawaddy-Thailand border was valued at more than $24 million.

Total foreign trade over the first week of the 2016-2017 financial year was $731 million, up by more than 29 percent over the same period last year, the ministry's figures showed.

Tourist Numbers Travel Upwards

The number of visitors to Burma holding tourist visas increased by 22 percent in the first two months of the year compared to the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism.

For a more accurate reflection of tourism arrivals, the immigration ministry now counts tourist arrivals only as those who enter the country with a tourist visa. Previously, all foreign visitors in were counted in the figures.

Better cooperation between tourism-related ministries under the tourism ministry, and the creation of new tourist destinations has contributed to the rise in visitors, an official from the ministry told the Global New Light of Myanmar.

App Launched for Factory Workers

An app for industrial workers called "Shwe Job" has been launched with the support of the European Union and the German international development organization GIZ.

SMART Myanmar, an initiative to promote sustainable practices in the garment industry launched the app in Hlaing Tharyar Township on May 1 in conjunction with civil society organization Thone Pann Hla. Around 120 garment workers joined the event.

The app contains information for factory workers on good practices for occupational safety & health in the workplace, and provides information on factory and labor laws. It also contains a salary calculator which is a tool for workers to understand how their monthly wages are calculated.

The goal is to provide a useful and educational tool in an accessible format, according to SMART Myanmar in a statement.

"When we started working with Myanmar's garment workers fewer than 1 percent owned smart phones. Now, over 90 percent do. This is an amazing shift in just 4 years. It is this incredible change that prompted us to create a teaching tool which can make full use of the latest and most relevant technologies," said SMART Myanmar team leader Jacob A. Clere.

Garment Exports Fetch $1.8bn

The cutting, making, and packaging (CMP) garment industry in Burma earned about $1.836 billion in the 2016-17 financial year, according to commerce ministry figures reported by a trade journal.

The garments industry includes the manufacture of shoes, clothes and bags, and contributed 16 percent of total export earnings in Burma over the year.

Burma exports around 33 per cent of its CMP products to Japan, followed by 25 per cent to the EU. It also supplies to the South Korea, US and Chinese markets.

Around 300,000 people are employed in the garment industry. Sweden's H&M and America's Gap are among the major foreign companies to invest in manufacturing operations in Burma.

World Bank Loans to Boast Economic Stability

The World Bank will provide loans worth $200 million to Burma under a program to assist the government to promote macroeconomic stability and fiscal resilience.

The loans are aimed to support reforms to modernize economic management and address challenges such as inflation, public debt sustainability, the efficiency of government spending, and tax collection. They will also provide concessional financing for critical public investments.

"The policy actions that we proposed could help sustain confidence in economic policies as well as reduce poverty and help increase access to public services for Myanmar people including electricity, education and health," said U Kyaw Win, Union Minister for Planning and Finance. "For example, low and stable inflation could help Myanmar to attract high quality investments to create jobs and grow in an inclusive manner."

The program comes under a plan with two pillars. A macroeconomic stability pillar includes reforms to promote prudent public debt management; an end to Central Bank financing of the fiscal deficit; fiscal discipline of State Economic Enterprises; and policy-based budgeting. The fiscal resilience pillar addresses increasing revenue mobilization; prudent gas revenue management; the financial viability of the power sector; and effective public finance management.

The credit will come from the International Development Association (IDA) and the terms for the IDA credit include a maturity of 38 years, with a grace period of six years and a zero interest rate.

The post The Irrawaddy Business Roundup (May 5) appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Burma’s Unsung Four-legged Heroes

Posted: 05 May 2017 07:19 PM PDT

RANGOON— On the first day of their meeting, Police Lance Corporal Aung Phite was hesitant to approach five-month-old German Shepherd puppy Michael.

He had been bitten by dogs at least four times in the past and prominent scars on his legs reminded him of his bitter experience with the animals. But the puppy greeted him with a wagging tail and swept his fear away.

From this day forward they became "the handler and his sniffer dog," and the bond between them grew and grew. Aung Phite referred to Michael as his "Son" and Michael was ready to jump on Aung Phite's colleagues whenever they pretended to fight his handler.

"Since I met Michael, I am no longer afraid of dogs and I like every dog I see," said Aung Phite.

Their five-year long companionship came to an abrupt end in April. Michael died of gastrointestinal problems on April 15 during the Burmese New Year water festival after serving as a member of Rangoon's police bomb squad team together with Aung Phite for over four years.

Michael's death drew much public attention since he was the most popular sniffer dog in the country. It was partly because he was also the only sniffer dog of Rangoon's Bomb Squad Unit carrying out duties at important public events and state-level occasions in the city.

The dog allowed the public to take selfies with him and to pet him. Since Michael's death, Aung Phite and his wife received visits from many strangers who came to console the grieving couple after losing him and to listen to the memories the city's beloved "Sergeant Michael."

But Michael's death also shined a spotlight on the harsh working lives of Burma's sniffer dogs and revealed the struggles of their handlers.

Aung Phite and his wife Myint Nwe Win said the cause of Michael's death was possibly intense fatigue, brought on after frequent irregular meals carrying out back-to-back missions as the only sniffer dog on duty in the country's biggest city.

Like other sniffer dogs, Michael got his salary—40,000 kyats monthly (just under US$30)—for his service. From his salary, 10,000 kyats was for monthly medical care and the rest was for his allowance: only 1,000 kyats per day.

After Michael's handler family petitioned the authorities requesting to raise his allowance so that the family could sufficiently cover his costs, Rangoon's police chief provided 1,600 kyats per day out of his own pocket for Michael.

"We would need around 4,000 to 5,000 kyats minimum to sufficiently cover the daily cost of such a dog," Aung Phite said, explaining that the average price of decent rice in Burma is around 1,500 kyats per kilogram.

Ma Myint Nwe Win said she prepared two boiled eggs and milk for breakfast and two meals of rice or porridge mixed with chicken every day, for the 70-pound animal, which cost the couple about 3,000 kyats per day, not including money for his snacks.

Whenever there was any major treatment that Michael needed to go through, the couple had to cover the bill in advance, Ma Myint Nwe Win added.

Michael is seen at at a ceremony commemorating Union Day in Rangoon's Mahabandoola Park in February.

According to Ministry of Home Affairs, Burma has a total of 136 security dogs serving across different departments of the police force and the army, including the Crime Investigation Department (CID), bomb squads, and border guard forces.

Out of the 136 security dogs, 55 finished training at the Central Military Dog Training Academy in Mingalardon Township, Rangoon for the skill of sniffing explosives and drugs.

Michael was also the most loved sniffer dog among police official. But he didn't earn this position easily.

He passed the police test by finding all 28 real bullets hidden around a stadium in Naypyidaw ahead of the 2013 Southeast Asian Games to examine his sniffing skill. He also helped his team find and disable four improvised explosive devices in Rangoon during his service with the bomb squad.

According to a Sergeant who asked not to be named and was once Michael's trainer at the academy, the training starts in August every year and lasts for six months, during which the dogs have to learn obedience and the required skills. There are between 15 and 40 dogs sent by both police force and the army every year at the academy for training, he said.

He also said the dogs are trained for at least six hours a day together with their handlers at the academy and it is quite intensive. Trainers have to use gun powder to teach dogs explosive sniffing skills, which has an impact on such dogs' health state, he added. Each year, there "multiple" dogs had died during the training process, he said.

"When dogs [on the training course] died, it was found that the most common causes were in the lungs, liver, and intestines—the cause of Michael's death," he said, stressing the need to provide thorough medical care to the dogs regularly.

An experienced veterinarian Daw Tin Yee told The Irrawaddy that sniffer dogs normally have shorter lifespans than normal pet dogs, though this impossible to avoid due to the nature of their work.

"Not every dog is trainable that way," she said. "Authorities should value such well-trained sniffer dogs and understand that they need [expensive] care."

However, she said, she is "not surprised" to learn that sniffer dogs are not valued in a country where the government had no habit of appreciating even people who serve the country.

Another veterinarian Ko Soe Moe Lin, who has experience of treating security dogs, told The Irrawaddy that such dogs should receive a monthly or bi-monthly medical check-up as their work has an impact on their health.

They should be provided days off after every mission, he added.

People are seen taking pictures with Michael at a ceremony commemorating Union Day in Rangoon's Mahabandoola Park in February. (Tin Htet Paing / The Irrawaddy)

Michael started getting sick on March 30 and after three days, he had blood in his stool. Under his veterinarian's care, he seemed much better until he got unwell again on April 10. While sick, he was brought to carry out duties on April 13—the first day of Thingyan—as people started celebrating the water festival in the city.

He and Aung Phite were picked up by his team and headed to work around noon, despite Aung Phite wife's protests.

"My son was feeling very unwell and I didn't want them to take him out [for duty] but we don't have the right to speak out and have to do as 'they' say so," Ma Myint Nwe Win told The Irrawaddy.

After three hours of duty, Michael experienced trouble breathing and was immediately admitted to a dog clinic. Two days later, he stopped breathing.

Local filmmaker Ma Kyi Phyu Shin broke the news of Michael's death on Facebook as she witnessed the moment Aung Phite and his wife buried him in their backyard. Her pictures of Michael's funeral saddened her social media followers and the city's dog lovers.

Many visited the house of Aung Phite and wife to see Michael's grave and learnt the plight of other sniffer dogs like Michael at the same time, which finally resulted on them founding a charity group named "For Brave Dogs" under the management of filmmaker Kyi Phyu Shin for the welfare of the country's sniffer dogs. The charity group will be launched officially on May 15, the one-month anniversary of Michael's death.

Logo of “For Brave Dog” charity group. (Kyi Phyu Shin / Facebook)

Ma Kyi Phyu Shin explained that the welfare group plans to donate 30,000 kyats monthly to every sniffer dog that on duty after finishing training at the Central Military Dog Training Academy (Mingalardon). In addition to monetary donations, the group will provide necessary medical care for on-duty sniffer dogs with the assistance of veterinarians across the country, she added.

Following Michael's death, Rangoon regional government's police authorities bought two yellow Labrador Retrievers that will be assigned as the city's sniffer dogs after training at the Mingalardon academy. The one-and-a-half year old black Labrador Rambo will fill in for Michael until the police have more trained dogs to take on the role.

Rambo, a one-and-a-half-year-old black Labrador who is filling up Michael’s duties at Rangoon’s bomb squad. (Tin Htet Paing / The Irrawaddy)

On April 19, like Buddhist Burmese do when one's family member passes away, Aung Phite and his wife held last funeral rites for Michael on at the police quarters in Rangoon's Yankin Township, where mourners donated food and other offerings to Buddhist monks.

Sergeant Michael carried out his duties at nearly 600 important events in Rangoon and Naypyidaw during his four-year service with the squad, including working during the 2014 visit of former US President Barack Obama to Burma, as well as the 2013 Southeast Asian Games.

He served at state-level events, presidential visits, football matches, and motion picture academy awards ceremonies, according to Aung Phite.

Speaking of his dog to The Irrawaddy's reporter in late April, Lance Corporal Aung Phite recalled his treasured memories of Michael, saying "people told me he imitated the way I walk on my toes."

Ma Myint Nwe Win said with tearful eyes how she missed her jaggery-loving son sitting beside her and looking at her face when she applied thanakha before going out.

She said she hopes if they were to have a child in the future, it would be the reincarnated spirit of Michael.

When asked if they have any plans to get their own dog in the future, Aung Phite said, "there's too much attachment and I am not sure if I will be able to handle this grief again."

The post Burma's Unsung Four-legged Heroes appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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Friday, May 5, 2017

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Shan Alliance Demands Greater Ethnic Inclusion in National Reconciliation Process

Posted: 05 May 2017 09:29 AM PDT

CHIANG MAI, Thailand – Stakeholders' alliance the Committee for Shan State Unity (CSSU) has said that its members are concerned that the National League for Democracy (NLD) government lacks the intention of achieving national reconciliation with the country's ethnic minorities.

The CSSU, formed in 2013, said after its two-day annual meeting in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand that the government must be urged to "to collaborate pragmatically" to build mutual respect with other groups in the country, with the ultimate goal of peace.

"The current government is trying to reconcile with the Tatmadaw, but has delayed in doing so with the ethnic groups," said Sai Leik, spokesperson for the CSSU.

He also said that equal treatment is the key to success concerning reconciliation.

He recalled that the United Wa State Army's peace delegation boycotted the first 21st Panglong Union Peace Conference in September 2016 due to alleged discrimination, referring to the Wa representatives walkout. He added, "every group, regardless of the size of their organization, must be treated equally when we hold talks for our Union."

Over 60 representatives from Shan political parties, the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army-South (RCSS/SSA-S) and the Shan State Progress Party/ Shan State Army North (SSPP/SSA-N), and community-based organizations gathered to discuss ways to build unity in multi-ethnic Shan State, where armed conflict has been ongoing. Leaders also called for an end to fighting, and to continue the drug eradication efforts.

Ying Harn Fa, a representative from the Shan community-based women's and youth groups said, "We would like to urge both the government and ethnic armed groups to stop the fighting," adding that implementation must move the process forward.

She said that she felt the discussion went well, despite the short time allocated to discuss such wide-ranging issues. The annual meeting served as both a performance evaluation and an opportunity to change leadership.

The CSSU was chaired by Khun Htun Oo of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy until yesterday; now the CSSU chairman is the Gen Yawd Serk of the RCSS.

The CSSU is also pushing for ethnic-based national level dialogue to happen in Taunggyi, the capital of Shan State, as it has been delayed due to the Tatmadaw's objection over the location.

"The ethnic-based national level dialogue needs to be implemented in Shan State, and we do not accept that the RCSS can conduct it only in its controlled zone in Mong Pan, as the SSPP has not signed the nationwide ceasefire agreement," Sai Leik added.

He added that SSPP could not sign the NCA because of multiple government restrictions, and said that the only way that they might become signatories is if the government agrees to the terms of the ethnic armed group coalition the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), of which the SSPP is one of seven members.

The government's Peace Commission held talks with the UNFC last week and its chairman, Dr. Tin Myo Win, said that progress has been made.

"If the government agreed to the UNFC's nine-point proposal, I believe that the SSPP would certainly be on the NCA path," Sai Leik said, adding, "For that to happen, we are also coordinating."

The post Shan Alliance Demands Greater Ethnic Inclusion in National Reconciliation Process appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Local Arakanese ‘Welcome’ U Wirathu

Posted: 05 May 2017 08:40 AM PDT

RANGOON – Leader of the Ma Ba Tha ultranationalist group U Wirathu and 10 other Buddhist monks were welcomed by ethnic Arakanese villagers in conflict-torn Maungdaw Township, northern Arakan State, on Friday.

A major from the border police told The Irrawaddy that U Wirathu visited Aung Mingalar, Aung Tharyar and Aung Zeya villages, situated near the border police headquarters at Kyi Kan Pyin, which was ambushed by militants in October of last year, killing nine policemen.

"Everything is fine here. But if something breaks out, we will fight against the attackers," the policeman said, on the condition of anonymity.

The other villages that the monks' delegation visited included Long Don and Kyein Chaung, which are situated far from the border police headquarters and surrounded by Muslim villages.

The police official said that U Wirathu donated bags of rice, dried fish and gave sweets to children. The monk also held an informal discussion with Brig-Gen Thura San Lwin at Kyi Kan Pyin. But the police officer claimed that talks between the two men focused solely on religious matters, and rejected statements that it was a "closed-door meeting."

Several vehicles belonging to the border police provided an escort for U Wirathu as he traveled to five Arakanese villages in southern Maungdaw on Friday.

The divisive monk was banned by authorities from delivering sermons for a year beginning in March, handed down for engaging in anti-Muslim hate speech in Irrawaddy Division. But it is unclear whether the prohibition includes restrictions on public speaking in general.

"This trip is not a political campaign. He suggested [that the villagers] protect the Buddhist religion and he advised them to meditate," the police officer said. He also stated that he did not know when U Wirathu would return to his monastery in Mandalay.

The Irrawaddy phoned Ma Ba Tha followers who are accompanying U Wirathu on his Arakan State trip, but was not able to obtain a comment from them.

Local Buddhist Arakanese U Tun Kyaw of Alay Than Kyaw village in southern Maungdaw, told The Irrawaddy he was "really glad" to see U Wirathu, and that he believed the monk had learned more about the challenges of local Arakanese, referring to problems he perceived as population shrinkage.

Some Arakanese in Rangoon and abroad have said that they worry that U Wirathu is exploiting the fears of rural Arakanese for political purposes.

Yet Kyaw Myo Paing, 22, a Buddhist Arakanese man from Mawrawaddy village, disagreed with this perspective.

"I respect and like U Wirathu because he always voices out about being anti-Muslim," he said, saying that people who lived away from the area did not understand the situation.

He said that since riots broke out in 2012, Buddhists and Muslims no longer trust one another.

The Irrawaddy contacted local Muslim religious leaders in the area for comment, but were unable to reach them at the time of publication.

The post Local Arakanese 'Welcome' U Wirathu appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

USDP Won’t Punish Ex-Chief Minister Embroiled in Embezzlement Scandal

Posted: 05 May 2017 08:05 AM PDT

RANGOON — The Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) will not take action against its former chief minister for Magwe Division, U Phone Maw Shwe, as the politician is now returning some of more than 3 billion kyats that went missing from government development funds.

U Phone Maw Shwe returned 500 million kyats to Magwe Division government on Friday after writing to the divisional government that he would return all the money by the end of July.

The Union government in early April ordered U Phone Maw Shwe to return 1.7 billion kyats, four cars, a digger, and two boats, all of which he donated to the Union Solidarity and Development party (USDP) during his time as chief minister.

The government also instructed him to return more than 1.57 billion kyats that he transferred to Shwe Thuka Microcredit Association. He returned the 500 million kyats through the association's chairman, U Kyi Tun.

Lower House lawmaker U Tun Tun of Magwe's Pwintbyu Township asked Parliament in May 2016 about the alleged embezzlement of regional development funds collected as taxation from small-scale oil producers in Magwe Division by the previous divisional government.

The Bureau of Special Investigations under the Ministry of Home Affairs launched an investigation and found that missing funds amounted to 7.5 billion kyats, and 1.7 billion kyats was spent on then-ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).

USDP spokesperson Dr Nandar Hla Myint said the party would not discipline the ex-chief minister.

"He has now taken responsibility for things that happened while he was the chief minister," U Nandar Hla Myint said. "The central executive committee (CEC) of the party has nothing to do with it. But if he was punished for a certain violation of the law, we would probably take action against him, according to party rules and regulations."

U Phone Maw Shwe was also chairman of Magwe Division's USDP chapter during his time as chief minister. He is currently a member of the central consultative committee.

"U Kyi Tun paid the money into Myanmar Economic Bank today. And the divisional government has received it. We will wait for the remaining money, as he said he would return the rest later on," Magwe division government spokesperson U Nay Myo Kyaw told The Irrawaddy.

The ex-chief minister also returned the cars, digger and boats to the divisional government at the end of April.

Director-General of Burma's State Counselor Office U Zaw Htay said that the government would not take punitive actions against U Phone Maw Shwe for the embezzlement, saying that its policy has 'no retrospection.'

After the embezzlement was brought under the spotlight, USDP chairman U Than Htay said that his party was politically targeted.

U Nay Myo Kyaw denied this, however, adding, "We were looking for justice. We did not target an individual or a party out of hatred. We just wanted to get back the public funds for the people."

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Army ‘Condemns’ NLD Assumption of Military Involvement in Presidential Resignation Rumors

Posted: 05 May 2017 07:19 AM PDT

RANGOON — Burma's military has "seriously condemned" the ruling party's spokesperson assumption of military involvement in spreading rumors concerning the resignation of the country's President, saying that they will make the "necessary responses."

On Thursday, the National League for Democracy (NLD) party's U Win Htein gave a media briefing on the rumors regarding President U Htin Kyaw.

"It's difficult to say [who is behind the rumor] as we are flooded with information. It's hard to guess if it was [spread] by the USDP [Union Solidarity and Development Party] or some military organizations, or IT guys who hate us," U Win Htein told The Irrawaddy.

A press release by the Military Information Team on Friday afternoon stated that "a groundless reply based on suspicion seriously harms the military's dignity," regarding the NLD spokesperson's comment.

The statement suggested that U Win Htein had "encouraged journalists to breach the Burmese media law that dictates reporters refrain from hurting…an organization's dignity." It added that the military "seriously condemned the groundless accusation. "

Such an act, the military said, "could harm national unity, especially during a time when the government is committed to national reconciliation," adding, "we will make the necessary responses."

U Win Htein was not immediately available for comment on Friday.

The military's response on Friday is the military's first open condemnation of the NLD since 2012, when Daw Aung San Suu Kyi publicly reached out to the army for purposes of national reconciliation.

Mindful of the powerful role the Tatmadaw plays—from the 25 percent of lawmakers appointed by the military to the Parliament, to the three military-controlled ministries related to security issue—the Nobel Laureate had several meetings with military chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing in recent years, presumably to build trust.

The army condemnation comes at a time when the relations between the senior general and State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi appear to have stalled given the army's hardline approach concerning ethnic armed groups in the country's peace process, an initiative now topping the State Counselor's priority list.

Once internationally criticized for human rights abuses in ethnic areas and general oppression of Burma's citizens, the Tatmadaw today is more likely to respond to criticism that could harm their image. The military recently made a complaint over satire that questioned the country's ongoing peace process.

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No New Quarrying Licenses to Be Issued in Mon State Forest Reserve

Posted: 05 May 2017 04:13 AM PDT

RANGOON — No new quarrying licenses will be issued in Mt. Kalama Forest Reserve in Mon State's Paung Township, according to the Mon State divisional government, where there have been ongoing disputes between mining companies and locals.

Dr. Min Kyi Win, Mon State minister for environmental conservation and natural resources, told The Irrawaddy that the state government would also reduce the existing number of companies operating inside the forest reserve, as per the instruction of Union Minister for Environmental Conservation and Natural Resources U Ohn Win.

Locals in the area have complained of the environmental impact, stating that waste and dust from the quarries have polluted the air and water sources.

The state minister said there are currently six quarries in the forest reserve. The state government carries out regular checks on quarries in the area to ensure they are in line with rules and regulations, and punitive actions are taken if violations are found, he added.

The Mon State government imposed a total ban on Dec. 13 of last year on all quarries in the Kaylatha Nature Reserve in Bilin Township. The suspension is still in place.

"It is against the laws, rules and regulations to operate quarries in places designated for environmental conservation," said lawmaker Dr. Khin Naing Oo of Bilin Township Constituency (1).

The Protection of Wildlife and Conservation of Natural Areas Law (1994) prescribes up to three years of imprisonment for causing water or air pollution or possessing or disposing of pollutants or mineral pollutants in a natural area.

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Attorney General Office Recommends Changes to Article 66(d)

Posted: 05 May 2017 03:54 AM PDT

NAYPYIDAW — Burma's Attorney General Office has recommended that defendants charged under the controversial Article 66(d) of the 2013 Telecommunications Law be granted bail.

The transport and communications ministry submitted a bill amending the telecommunications law to the Union Attorney General Office, permanent secretary of the office Daw Nu Nu Yin told a government press conference on Thursday.

Daw Nu Nu Yin said the office is reviewing the bill and giving recommendations for changes, including granting bail. It will return the bill to the ministry, which will forward it to the government and Parliament, she added.

Currently, judges decided whether to grant bail on hearing the cases, as the law does not specify whether bail should be granted or not.

Article 66(d) states that anyone found guilty of extorting, coercing, restraining wrongfully, defaming, disturbing, causing undue influence or threatening any person by using any telecommunications network shall be punished with a maximum three years in prison, a fine, or both.

An increasing number of defamation charges have been brought against politicians, reporters, and social media users under Article 66(d). Activists have called for the controversial defamation law to be abolished or amended, saying that it denies citizens their freedom of speech and expression.

In many cases, the accused have been denied bail.

U Nay Pu Ba Swe, secretary of the Lower House Transport, Communications and Construction Committee, said they would coordinate with the "concerned authorities" to amend the law when the parliament resumes on May 18.

Third parties have filed complaints against some defendants under Article 66(d). Rangoon divisional lawmaker U Nay Phone Latt said the law should be amended so that only the defamed persons can file complaints.

According to the law, the Ministry of Transport and Communications must approve a complaint before the defendant is sued. However, U Nay Phone Latt said the ministry does not thoroughly review the complaints.

"The ministry takes no responsibility at present," he said. "It should assign a group of ministry officers to review the complaints and decide whether the person should be sued or not."

The telecommunications law was enacted under the military-backed government of former President U Thein Sein, ostensibly to regulate private telecom operators. It was mainly used to deter criticism of the administration.

According to an NGO researching the law, there have been 54 cases charged under Article 66 (d) under the new government up to April. Eight have been jailed, and six were denied bail and are facing trial in custody.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko

 

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New Govt Cuts Military Personnel Appointed to Civil Service

Posted: 05 May 2017 02:05 AM PDT

NAYPYIDAW — The government body responsible for recruiting, appointing, and training civil servants no longer allows transfer of military officers to senior posts in the civilian administration under the new government of National League for Democracy (NLD), according to a member of the Union Civil Service Board (UCSB).

"There are civil servant laws, and by-laws. We have to function according to them. There are exceptions if Union government can allow. But normally, the procedures have to be in line with laws, and by-laws," said UCSB member U Saw Valentine at a government press conference on Thursday.

Successive governments since military dictator Ne Win's coup in 1962 have transferred retired and serving military officers into management positions in various civilian departments. They are often referred to in Burmese language as "Moe kya shwe ko," meaning those who come from above and enjoy privileges.

Military appointees have stifled the progress of experienced civilian staff and their mismanagement has led to the malfunction of civilian departments and the administration at large, critics have pointed out.

Though the new government no longer allows transfer of military officers to civilian departments, 22 captains and majors from the Ministry of Defense injured or disabled in the line of duty were transferred to civilian departments with the approval of the cabinet since April last year, said director-general of UCSB U Kyaw Soe.

"The program was initiated under the previous government to provide a living for military officers who have become disabled as well as give them psychological encouragement," said U Kyaw Soe.

The number of army appointees was more than that in previous years, according to U Kyaw Soe.

When civilian departments need recruits or technicians, the defense ministry is the only ministry that has staff and technicians at hand, according to U Saw Valentine.

"For example, if a particular ministry needs IT technicians, it has to find them in other ministries. If other ministries have no [spare] IT technicians to give, but the army has, then they are transferred," said U Saw Valentine.

Currently, ministry senior management positions such as permanent secretary, director-general, and managing director are all held by army appointees. In August 2015, medical professionals and students organized a black ribbon movement in protest against the appointment of military officers to positions within the Ministry of Health.

"It is not a problem if the appointee has the capacity and deserves the post he is transferred to," said an assistant director of the Ministry of Health on the condition of anonymity.

"But if [the appointee] knows nothing about it and is just sent from above, the experienced staff will not be happy. If the right men are not in the right places, it is a loss for the country," he added.

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Burma Says Fake News Being Spread to Destabilize NLD Government

Posted: 05 May 2017 12:43 AM PDT

RANGOON — Burma's government has warned the public that false news and rumors are being spread by unidentified people wishing to cause "political instability" during the tenure of leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, state-run media said on Friday.

Nobel laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi took power in April 2016 as part of a transition from military rule.

Her first year in power has been beset by bureaucratic inertia, ethnic and religious tensions, and conflicts that have displaced tens of thousands, including an estimated 75,000 Rohingya Muslims who fled to Bangladesh amid a military crackdown late last year.

Rumors emerged in recent days that President Htin Kyaw—who Daw Aung San Suu Kyi picked for head of state—would step down. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi directs the civilian administration in the specially created role of State Counselor because the constitution—drafted by the still-powerful military—bars her from the presidency.

Police said they would prosecute those responsible for the information, which has spread quickly on online social networks that have grown in popularity amid expanding freedoms and Internet access in Burma.

"False news regarding the president and the State Counselor has been spread on purpose by using accounts with false names," Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's office carried in the government's Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper on Friday.

It named two Facebook accounts that it said had published "fabricated news."

"It has been found that these acts are being done intentionally to cause political instability during the tenure of the incumbent government," said the State Counselor's office, adding that the perpetrators wished to "create a situation among the people to live in fear and anxiety due to the spread of rumors."

Police Colonel Myo Thu Soe, national police spokesman, told Reuters an investigation was being launched and anyone intentionally spreading false news would be brought to court.

"We will conduct a focused and intensive search for those responsible for this," Myo Thu Soe said.

The post Burma Says Fake News Being Spread to Destabilize NLD Government appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

After North Korea Criticism, China Says Wants to be Good Neighbor

Posted: 04 May 2017 10:55 PM PDT

BEIJING, China — China said on Thursday it wants to be good neighbors with North Korea, after the isolated country's state news agency published a rare criticism of Chinese state media commentaries calling for tougher sanctions over the North's nuclear program.

The United States has urged China, North Korea's only major ally, to do more to rein in the North's nuclear and missile programs, which have prompted an assertive response from the Trump administration, warning that an "era of strategic patience" is over.

A commentary carried by North Korea's KCNA news agency referred to recent commentaries in China's People's Daily and Global Times newspapers, which it said were "widely known as media speaking for the official stand of the Chinese party and government."

In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China's position was consistent and clear.

"China's position on developing friendly, good-neighborly relations with North Korea is also consistent and clear," Geng told reporters, in response to a question about the KCNA commentary.

China was unswervingly devoted to the denuclearization of the peninsula and maintaining peace and security and resolving the issue through talks, Geng added.

The WeChat account of the overseas edition of the People's Daily, in its reaction to the KCNA piece, said it was clear that North Korea's nuclear and missile activities were a threat to China.

"North Korea has not left the Cold War behind and does not want to, and is enmeshed in a web of its own spinning of antagonism between its enemies and itself," it said.

China has repeatedly said that while it is happy to help arrange talks, it is ultimately up to the United States and North Korea to sort out their differences.
Diplomats say Washington and Beijing are negotiating a possible stronger UN Security Council response—such as new sanctions—to North Korea's repeated ballistic missile launches in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions.

The KCNA commentary charged that the Chinese articles had attempted to shift the blame to Pyongyang for "deteriorated relations" between China and North Korea and US deployment of strategic assets to the region.

It also accused China of "hyping up" damage caused by North Korean nuclear tests to China's three northeastern provinces.

Chinese state media calls for North Korea to dismantle its nuclear program were "a wanton violation of the independent and legitimate rights, dignity and supreme interests" of North Korea and constituted "an undisguised threat to an honest-minded neighboring country which has a long history and tradition of friendship," KCNA said.

The United States has sent a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to Korean waters and a pair of strategic US bombers flew training drills with South Korea and Japan in another show of strength this week.

"The reckless military provocation is pushing the situation on the Korean peninsula closer to the brink of nuclear war," KCNA said on Tuesday.

Tension on the Korean peninsula has been high for weeks, driven by concern that North Korea might conduct its sixth nuclear test, also in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions.

 

The post After North Korea Criticism, China Says Wants to be Good Neighbor appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

UN Survey: Over Half of Rohingya Girls who Fled Violence Became Child Brides

Posted: 04 May 2017 10:18 PM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — More than half of Rohingya Muslim girls who fled violence in western Burma ended up becoming child brides, according to a United Nations survey that also showed widespread domestic abuse.

Since 2012, violence and communal clashes in Burma's Arakan State have forced more than 168,000 of the ethnic Muslim Rohingya minorities to flee, including a rising number of women and girls, according to the UN refugee agency UNHCR.

In a survey of 85 Rohingya women and girls who have fled to India, Malaysia and Indonesia, UNHCR found about 60 percent married before the age of 18. The average age that they gave birth to their first child was 18.

One in every three women and girls also said they were victims of domestic violence, according to UNHCR's 2016 Report on Mixed Movements in Southeast Asia.

"We generally counsel them about their options and, if they agree, refer them to a partner or shelter that cares for vulnerable women," UNHCR Asia spokeswoman Vivian Tan told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

The growing number of Rohingya women and girls fleeing persecution in Buddhist-majority Burma has raised concern that they may be vulnerable to human trafficking, sexual exploitation and child marriage, activists say.

UNHCR said the interviews with the 85 women in its latest report were to assess "continuing vulnerabilities" they face.

There are about 8,000 Rohingya women and girls aged between 14 and 34 in India, Indonesia and Malaysia—the countries where the study was carried out late last year.

The findings showed while the majority of the Rohingya girls in India said they chose their husbands, 76 percent in Malaysia said their marriage was arranged by families or brokers, giving rise to fears of human trafficking.
Rights groups said they have seen an increase in the number of child brides among Rohingya refugees as violence in Arakan worsened, with human traffickers selling girls to Rohingya men as brides.

As Rohingya refugees are denied formal employment in many of the host countries, only 7 percent of the women polled said they were earning an income, even though two-thirds said they desired their own income.

The plight of the Rohingya hit international headlines again in recent months after Burma security forces were accused of carrying out mass killings and gang rapes during their campaign against Rohingya insurgents. The military has denied the accusations.

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National News

National News

ADB alerts water security in Asia and the Pacific

Posted: 05 May 2017 01:16 AM PDT

An official from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has alerted the water security problem in Asia and the Pacific on May 3.

Mandalay to hold inaugural mango and tea leaf fair

Posted: 05 May 2017 01:13 AM PDT

Tea drinkers and mango lovers in Mandalay are in for a treat. For the first time, a mango and tea leaf fair will be held at the Mandalar Thiri football stadium from May 20 to 22.

Despite high prices, Mandalay car sales still robust

Posted: 05 May 2017 01:11 AM PDT

Prices of used cars remain high in Mandalay even after the Thingyan festivities, and sales are still robust.

Prices of pigeon peas, green grams drop

Posted: 05 May 2017 01:08 AM PDT

Prices of pigeon pea and green grams have taken a dip as trade in the beans with India has stopped.

Laying treks to boost tourism in Pyin Oo Lwin

Posted: 05 May 2017 01:01 AM PDT

Trekking routes are to be mapped out and constructed as well as regional guide training are to be provided in Pyin Oo Lwin township, Mandalay Region, where locals and foreigners frequent.

NPT urban project to take off next year

Posted: 05 May 2017 12:55 AM PDT

Implementation of the Nay Pyi Taw Urban Project, which is being drafted again under the new government, is expected to kick off in 2018.

Smoking ban on pagodas in Mandalay

Posted: 05 May 2017 12:54 AM PDT

Public Health Foundation chair Dr Than Sein said that three pagodas in Mandalay will be defined as no-smoking zones to protect visitors paying homage. He was speaking on Wednesday at a workshop on establishing smoke-free areas.

Regional forum tackling street children, child rape to be held

Posted: 05 May 2017 12:51 AM PDT

A regional forum on child rape, street children and children's rights will be held during this month.

No go yet to Malaysia for Myanmar workers

Posted: 05 May 2017 12:42 AM PDT

Myanmar has yet to send workers to Malaysia as the political situation there is uncertain and there may be problems in future.

Protests mount as traders reject rent hike

Posted: 05 May 2017 12:41 AM PDT

Retailers and shopkeepers in Myingyan township, Mandalay Region are up in arms against the recent hike in rentals and took to the streets to register their protests on two occasions.
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Shan Herald Agency for News

Shan Herald Agency for News

Burma's New Game Plan: Is Pangkham-led initiative an answer to stalled peace process?

Posted: 04 May 2017 08:10 AM PDT

Since October 15, 2015, Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA)-based peace process has been the only game in town. Principally, Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) must sign the NCA before being allowed to participate in what is officially known as the Union Peace Conference - 21st Century Panglong (UPC-21CP), which has been convened twice already, once during the tenure of President Thein Sein and again during the rule of National League for Democracy (NLD) government, under the de facto leadership of Aung San Suu Kyi. The third conference is scheduled to be held on May 24, according to official announcement, following the agreement reached earlier at the Joint Implementation Coordination Meeting between officials of the government and leaders of the armed ethnic organizations that have signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement, in Naypyitaw.

But this is changing fast, as Panghsang, now officially known as Pangkham, capital of the Wa Self-Administrative Division, led the ethnic leadership from 7 EAOs officially declared a non-NCA-based peace negotiation approach on April 19, 2017 that is totally new by rejecting the government-led NCA-based peace process that so far has been the only game in town.
 
The government insistence that all the EAOs must sign the NCA first or else they would not be allowed to participate in the UPC-21CP have effectively left out all the EAOs participants in Pangkham.

They are the Pangkham-led 7 EAOs military-political alliance that includes the United Wa State Party/Army (UWSP/UWSA), United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA), Kachin Independence Organization/Army (KIO/KIA), Palaung State Liberation Front/Ta'ang National Liberation Army (PSLF/TNLA), Myanmar National Truth and Justice Party/Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNTJP/MNDAA), Peace and Solidarity Committee/National Democratic Alliance Army (PSC/NDAA) and Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA).

The alliance recently said to be named Federation of Ethnic Alliance (FEA) held meetings in Pangkham by the UWSP/UWSA for the third time in February 22 to 24 and recent fourth time from April 15 to 19. The Wa also hosted the first Pangkham Summit in May 2015 and the second one in November of the same year.

Although the government is keen to have the UWSA, NDAA and SSPP included in its NCA-based peace process, it is bitterly against the MNDAA, TNLA and AA, it considers that they are relatively new groups that enter the fray without real political motive and unspoken, official attitude that they are directly or indirectly linked to the big neighboring country as proxies, rightly or wrongly.

And to complicate the matter, KIO is involved in the military alliance, which the said excluded 3 EAOs are members, calling itself Northern Alliance – Burma (NA-B) delivering running battles with the government troops, also known as the Military or Tatmadaw, since last year. Apart from that, the KIO is also a leading member of the other 7 EAOs' military-political alliance, the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC).

Like the KIO, SSPP, a militarily formidable group, is also involved in both the Pangkham initiated peace approach which is also a member of the UNFC.

The UNFC is in the process of bargaining with the government on how to make amendment to the present existing NCA so that it could sign the agreement and enter the UPC-21CP as a fully fledged participation group.

Thus, question arises on whether the KIO and SSPP would would follow the Pangkham-initiated or government-initiated NCA-based peace process. However, it should be noted that the UNFC is now only in the process of bargaining to amend the NCA to make it a more equitable setting, which in other words means the creation of a level playing field is still under negotiation.

Against this backdrop, on one track the government is trying to pick up it's lost momentum which the State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi has started as UPC-21CP, a few months after its NLD-led regime took over from the former Thein Sein government at the end of March last year; and the other, a new Pangkham-initiated peace approach, which rejected the government's  NCA-based process coupled with a new ceasefire proposal deal to end the war in ethnic states first, followed by political negotiation that would lead to possible political settlement and conflict resolution.

The ongoing government-led UPC-21CP seems to be a fraudulent with lots of failure, such as it is not at all an all-inclusive peace initiative; the process being completely taken over by the government although it is supposed to be a jointly owned one together with the other EAOs or stakeholders; and above all, the whole peace process not catering to the level playing field norms that should be at the heart of any conflict resolution.

Rejection of the NCA-based peace process

The UNFC and as well the Pangkham alliance rejection of the NCA is first and foremost the issue of  all-inclusiveness of all the EAOs. To date, only 8 from 21 EAOs have signed the NCA and the remaining 13 EAOs still haven't been involved. The reason for not signing the NCA for the UNFC, and as well the Pangkham alliance, being the exclusion of the MNDAA, TNLA and AA that have been militarily engaging the Tatmadaw in northern Shan State.

But with the Pangkham alliance rejecting the government's NCA-based peace process, of which the said three EAOs are members, the all-inclusive demand of the UNFC might now become irrelevant.

The second reason is the NCA that was signed by the 8 EAOs on October 2015 is being hijacked by the then Thein Sein's Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) government and also taken over as it is by the present NLD regime, which means the NCA that is supposed to be a joint-process between all the EAOs and the government has become solely the government owned one, as could be seen on how the peace process is being handled. Besides, the partial-ceasefire nature comprising of only 8 EAOs could hardly speak for all the EAOs that are still outside the NCA fold.

The third reason is the inability to create a level playing field, as could be seen by the composition of UPC-21CP participation quota. According to the NCA, the government and the parliament each has 75 representatives, 150 altogether; the Military 150; the EAOs 150; political parties 150; ethnic representatives 50; and selected individuals 50; making it a grand total of 700 representatives altogether.

The ethnic nationalities as a whole sees this as an imbalance participation composition quota and demands a tripartite dialogue, which should include only three groups: the government, parliament and the Military; the EAOs; and the political parties; that would be equally represented, so that a level playing field participation be made possible.

On top of all these, the Pangkham alliance considers that the NCA is a lopsided document that seeks to replace the Panglong Agreement of 1947 which it sees as a political and historical legacy of the ethnic nationalities, embedded or anchored in the ethnic rights of self-determination, equality and democracy.

Pangkham initiated peace deal

From April 15 to 19, the 7 EAOs, numbering 27 representatives met in Wa State, Pangkham, hosted by the UWSP/UWSA and supported by the PSC/NDAA.

The new Pangkham initiated peace deal spelled out its eight-point statement, following the end of fourth ethnic armed revolutionary leaders' meeting. 

The statement confirmed the formation of "Union Political Negotiation Committee" (UPNC) to negotiate with the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, together with the approved lists of   secretariat and a body of negotiation representatives.

A common document guidelines based on "ethnic armed revolutionary organizations general principles and position on political negotiation" was agreed upon and the proposal on how to overcome the present difficulties that are evident in the ongoing peace process is documented, which accordingly would be made known to the government as soon as possible.

The statement further stressed that the UPNC door is always open for any ethnic armed revolutionary organization, political party and influential individual, that accepts the rules and regulations of the "ethnic armed revolutionary organizations general principles and position on political negotiation," announced during the third Pangkham meeting.

Perspective

Given such a backdrop, we could now venture into a more deeper speculation on which of the two game plans could benefit the people of Burma and the country as a whole.

First, it is clear that all contending parties and all stakeholders are of the same opinion that peace is crucial to the achievement of national unity, reconciliation and development of the country. If this is really the case or outgoing point and all are determined to strive for it, there should be a way out from this debacle.

From the point of UNFC and the Pangkham alliance the NCA-based peace process failures are the inability to hold all-inclusiveness participation that involve all EAOs; government abandoning the joint-peace-process and taking the lead alone without adequate consultation with other stakeholders; non-conformity to adhere to equality or level playing field configuration at all negotiation levels; and above all, ignoring the ethnic nationalities' historical-political legacy embedded in Panglong Agreement of 1948.

Thus, it could be taken that if the said flaws were to be corrected the NCA could become acceptable for many of the EAOs that remain outside the NCA-based peace process fold, including the Pangkham alliance. In this sense, the flexibility and accommodation from the part of the government, and of course with the cooperation of the Military, would be essential and should be the way to go.

Now if we look at the Pangkham initiated peace approach proposal, it primarily seeks to end the ongoing wars in all ethnic states, signs a new ceasefire deal between the government and its alliance members, and finally entering the peace negotiation process.

Principally, this could be adjustable, if the regime would employ a double-track or parallel approach. Why shouldn't the government be able to leave the existing NCA signatory 8 EAOs, as a resolved portion of peace process participants, while negotiating a new set of ceasefire deal with the Pangkham alliance and allowing them to enter the peace process?

To blend in or incorporate the two game plans would open a new venue of cooperation, only the imposition of the rigid stance "to sign the NCA first, before the parties could be allowed to participate in the peace process," should be totally abandoned.

The main and crucial point though is to get all warring parties to come to the negotiation table, no matter how it is achieved.

But to be able to pull this first crucial step, courage, political will and altruism will be needed, especially from the part of the government, including the Military, as a stronger party among all stakeholders involving in the conflict.

If this could be done, the Pangkham alliance might also tone down its demand of achieving a confederation type of solution – a proposition which definitely would throw the government off-balance -  and would probably opt for a genuine federal union settlement instead.

There is even a saying to support this argument, "Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star."


By all means, this particular double-track approach is worth trying and might even be a viable solution, after all these years of continuous fighting and numerous, fruitless, attempted negotiations. 
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