Saturday, October 21, 2017

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Dateline Irrawaddy: Haul of Firearms in U Phyo Ko Ko Tint San Case

Posted: 20 Oct 2017 08:52 PM PDT

Ye Ni: Welcome to Dateline Irrawaddy. This week, we'll discuss the current talk of the town—the arrest of U Phyo Ko Ko Tint San who was found with firearms and illegal drugs at Naypyitaw Airport. Lawyer U Than Zaw Aung and The Irrawaddy Burmese editor U Yan Paing join me to discuss this. I'm Irrawaddy Burmese editor Ye Ni.

As you know U Phyo Ko Ko Tint San, the son of former sports minister U Tint San, was recently arrested at Naypyitaw Airport for illegal possession of firearms and drugs. Police also discovered guns at his ACE Hotel. And again, guns, accessories and things believed to be drugs paraphernalia were also discovered at his hotel and company headquarters in Thaketa and Bahan townships in Yangon. Police have charged him for drugs and illegal possession of firearms. Ko Than Zaw Aung, how do you assess this case?

Dateline Irrawaddy :ေနျပည္ေတာ္ေလဆိပ္မွာ မိတဲ့ လက္နက္နဲ႕ မူးယစ္ေဆးဝါးအမႈအေပၚ သုံးသပ္ခ်က္ဒီတပတ္ ဒိတ္လုုိင္းအစီအစဥ္ကေတာ့ ေနျပည္ေတာ္ေလဆိပ္မွာ မိတဲ့ လက္နက္နဲ႕ မူးယစ္ေဆးဝါးအမႈ ကိစၥနဲ႔ပတ္သက္ၿပီး ဧရာဝတီသတင္းဌာနရဲ႕ ျမန္မာပုုိင္းအယ္ဒီတာ ရဲနည္၊တရားလႊတ္ေတာ္ေရွ႕ေန ဦးသန္းေဇာ္ေအာင္နဲ႔ ဧရာဝတီသတင္းဌာနရဲ႕ ျမန္မာပုုိင္းအယ္ဒီတာ ရန္ပုုိင္ တုုိ႔ကေဆြးေႏြးထားၾကတာပါ။

Posted by The Irrawaddy – Burmese Edition on Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Than Zaw Aung: Guns were seized from him before he boarded a plane in Naypyitaw. Further investigation led to the seizure of more guns at his house and hotel in Yangon. So, why does he keep firearms? Police have stated that he was preparing to establish a security company. The name of the company is interesting. Words such as 'special force', 'national security council' are interesting. We should ask if a private security company is allowed to use the terms such as 'national' and 'council.' Again, 'special force' is a term normally used by armed organizations, and authorities should carefully investigate the reasons behind it. Law enforcement personnel should efficiently handle the case and find out his intention.

YN: Do the charges brought by the police against them match the crime or do you see any suspicious aspects of the case? Because netizens have speculated that the case is politically motivated and there is a mastermind behind.

TZA: There will be a lot of speculation and wild guesses on social media. But, the responsibility lies on the Ministry of Home Affairs to investigate. If the ministry alone is not enough, assistance should be sought from military agencies in the investigation process. Usually most of the [drug] cases pale into insignificance over time [after the initial drug bust]. And drug and weapons are like husband and wife, they come in pairs. At the moment, it is difficult to say the motive behind. There are speculations, but it is the responsibility of the concerned authorities to investigate.

YN: What Ko Than Zaw Aung pointed out is interesting. Speaking of illegal arms, U Ko Ni's assassination, which happened not long ago, involves illegal arms. The gun used in assassination was reportedly brought through the Thailand-Myanmar border. And there is another case in which a motorbike rider was killed by a bullet in Mandalay. No one knew what happened. But it is obvious that he was shot by someone. Ko Yan Paing, do you think police are working hard enough to investigate drug and illegal firearms cases?

Yan Paing: Rather than discussing if the police are working, what I'd like to know, as a journalist, is about the routes through which firearms are brought in. Police must investigate those routes and the arms dealers. And the case of the death of a motorbike rider in Mandalay is minor compared to the big haul of firearms in Naypyitaw—the first of its kind there. Not long ago, firearms were seized reportedly from a vehicle in Thazi Township [in Mandalay], and there are many firearms in border areas. I think those cases are concerned with arms smuggling. But the case in discussion is different; many firearms were seized in a place like Naypyitaw, and in a place like Yangon, guns like the M16 were discovered—it is a serious weapon. And as U Than Zaw Aung has pointed out, guns and drugs come in pairs. If he is high on drugs and shoots at something with those guns, it is very dangerous. So, I think police should give greater attention than they did in previous cases.

YN: Drugs and weapons usually come in pairs, but the amount of drug seized from him and discovered during police search [of his house and hotel] is not much. So, it can be concluded that he is just a drug user [as opposed to a dealer]. But talking of firearms, police stated that he was planning to establish a security company. As far as I'm concerned, there is still no law that allows for [armed] security service. But what I'd like to know is if the laws allow civilians to keep firearms, or specify the circumstances in which civilians can keep specific types of firearms. As far as I'm concerned, gun licenses were issued under the government of the Burma Socialist Programme Party (BPSS).

TZA: There were gun licenses issued under the BSPP government starting from 1977 but only to those who were fully-fledged party members and serving on duty in BSPP. They were allowed to keep three weapons including handguns, such as non-military rifles. But after the 1988 pro-democracy uprising, [the military] revoked gun licenses and recalled guns. There are three existing laws in Myanmar regarding weapons—the Arms Act 1878, which is an Indian act, the Arms Act (Temporary Amendment) 1951, and the Arms Emergency Punishment Temporary Act 1949. According to these existing laws, ordinary citizens are not allowed to keep firearms. Lawmakers asked about the keeping of firearms at the parliament probably under the previous government. At that time concerned officials replied that ordinary citizens are not allowed to keep firearms. Security guards of security companies are allowed to use handcuffs and rubber batons. They are not allowed to keep guns.

YP: Besides what Ko Than Zaw Aung has said, as you see police usually carry out checks on ordinary citizens who go out late at night by car or motorbike, and even seize swords and sticks from them if they carry any. Therefore, I think the case is more than establishing a security company or a hobby.

YN: This seizure of guns, camouflage jackets and military accessories reminds me of the previous case of such a seizure in the alleged plot of U Aye Ne Win and U Kyaw Ne Win for high treason. And this case has aroused concerns. And there are concerns for the security of State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Talking of illegal possession of arms, there are armed groups in our country in ethnic regions. After they held peace talks [with the government], their members were allowed to come into [government-controlled] towns with guns for a certain period of time though carrying guns in towns is totally banned now. However, the case proves again the speculation that guns are still brought into towns by one way or another. Ko Than Zaw Aung, what measures do you think should be taken to control this?

TZA: As I have said, it is important to find out intentions in crimes. In the case we're discussing, it is the accused who has to prove that he does not intend to commit high treason. The Arms Act (Temporary Amendment) stated that despite any contrary provision in any other existing laws, it shall be presumed that a person found to be in possession of arms has the intention of committing the offence of high treason. So in this case, the accused has to prove that he has no intention of committing high treason.

YN: What do you think, Ko Yan Paing?

YP: Mainly that the home affairs ministry should work harder, I think. Things are different from the past now. Nowadays, illegal arms will come into the country from various places—drug dealers, China border, Thai border. Recently, guns were discovered on the Thai border and I heard that police even seized air guns that use metal balls. But the question is if police can always do like that? As illegal arms have been found in Naypyitaw and Yangon, laws should be amended as necessary and the Ministry of Home Affairs should make greater efforts to gather intelligence and find out the network of accomplices.

YN: Thank you for your contribution!

The post Dateline Irrawaddy: Haul of Firearms in U Phyo Ko Ko Tint San Case appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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Friday, October 20, 2017

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Reassessing the Role of Myanmar’s Powerful Military

Posted: 20 Oct 2017 05:32 AM PDT

Without the military's collaboration, the democratic transition in Myanmar will go nowhere. Like it or not, it's the realpolitik of the country and no one can discard that reality.

Unlike most countries in the world, the military here is unavoidably at the epicenter of the country's politics constitutionally, traditionally and historically.

That's a fact. Thus, not only domestic leaders but also international leaders must deal with its leadership to achieve their respective missions in the fragile state of Myanmar.

Many people of Myanmar loathed the military dictatorship that oppressed them for decades. The international community punished the military with sanctions for its abuse of power against its own people; its grip on power that went against international norms.

To date, however, political transformation has not evolved beyond a framework designed by the ex-military regime.

The past one and a half years since the first elected government led by the National League for Democracy took office has proven again that the military is still the most important stakeholder in the political arena.

Twenty-nine years after a nationwide uprising stormed against the military dictatorship in 1988, the popular pro-democracy camp has failed in achieving its goal: to remove the military from the political arena after making it return to the barracks.

And the mainstream opposition groups comprising Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD, dozens of other political parties, ethnic parties and political activist groups couldn't make their own strategies beyond a political roadmap planned by the military regime.

During that time, however, the military managed to have a constitution which guarantees it an important leadership role in the political arena.

Today, as a result, the military is still at the epicenter of politics although it isn't running the government.

Constitutionally, the military's commander-in-chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing is perhaps the most important power holder.

He chooses the 25 percent of military appointees in all parliaments nationally and regionally. He nominates a vice president and three key ministerial positions—defense, home and border affairs.

In addition, the military chief is the supreme commander in chief of all armed forces, from the military to the police to paramilitary groups. In other countries, this position is supposed to be for the president.

Traditionally, the military had ruled the country for many decades from 1958 to 1960 as a caretaker government and from 1962 to 2011 as a military government. Besides, from 2011 to early 2016, the military-proxy party, known as the Union Solidarity and Development Party, ruled the country through a quasi-civilian government. Thus, the military and its political party had ruled the country for fifty-six out of the sixty-nine years since it gained independence from British colonial rule in 1948.

Historically, the military was formed as the Burma Independence Army (BIA) in 1941 to fight for independence from the British. BIA was formed by patriotic politicians led by independence leader Gen. Aung San, father of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. So, the consecutive military leaders hold a belief that the Myanmar military, known as the Tatmadaw, is patriotic with "a crucial duty to protect the State from internal and external threats and destructive elements which endanger its sovereignty."

With such roles in history and politics, the military has strengthened itself throughout history. It has become one of the strongest armed forces in Southeast Asia, with more than 450,000 troops.

The Tatmadaw is resilient in the political arena though it has faced continuous resistance throughout its rule. Sanctions from the West for 20 years didn't make the military weak.

All of its leaders, especially after its takeover of the country in 1988, have never swayed from three causes of their motto: "The non-disintegration of the Union, non-disintegration of national solidarity and perpetuation of sovereignty."

The current leader of the military, Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, is no different.

Last Sunday, we could see once more the military's power and its steadfast political stand when Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing made a speech at the ceremony of the 2nd anniversary of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement in Naypyitaw.

The military chief was one of three leaders to make speeches together with the de facto leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi representing the government and Saw Mutu Sae Poe, chairman of Karen National Union, representing a bloc of ethnic armed groups which have signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement.

The military chief is always among key leaders to make such a speech in important political ceremonies and also a key host to all foreign dignitaries, who request to meet the military chief when they want to discuss military or security matters.

The head of the state and other cabinet ministers are not legitimately placed to answer such specific questions.

Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing's speech on Sunday was different from the other two leaders' speeches.

The State Counselor emphasized leaving a good legacy of peace for the next generation and appealed for collaboration from everyone for the peace process.

The Karen leader called for autonomy and integrity for ethnic people in accordance with the Panglong agreement signed in 1947 between the then Prime Minister Aung San and ethnic leaders, making crucial suggestions for the current peace process.

In contrast, the military chief not only touched on the peace process and the country's stability but also about the multiparty system, the military's tasks in laying out the foundation for the multiparty system, the definitions of democracy, different views on the rule of law, differences between revolution and building the country, and the military's historic role in fighting for independence.

Some critics might even have considered his speech a "political lecture" to the audience, from the head of the state to ethnic leaders to heads of foreign missions.

It would be very unusual in other countries, but in Myanmar, the exclusive audience had to listen to his 15-minutes speech. And the commander-in-chief delivered the speech with the confidence and conviction needed when speaking to such an audience.

The military chief said the military government carried out political, economic and social development undertakings from 1988 till 2010 by building the road for a multiparty system. He said, "Every person and every organization needs to understand the multiparty system. The military is carrying out to continue to walk on the policy of the multiparty system with steadfast and caution."

"As democracy is seen as a system, it can be assumed that it is as a task or ethic to achieve success if it is followed and respected by everyone."

The senior general said while legal scholars focus on stability to determine the rule of law, there are two factors of "accountability" and "no one above the law" according to political point of view.

The military chief said more than one time in his speech, "No one is above the law." He also added, "Any person or organization must respect the existing laws in carrying out any type of their duties. The law cannot be abused as a tool."

He was not referring to any specific person. Some people might ask whether he was referring to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who was sitting in the front row. Because right after the NLD government took office at the end of March 2016, the NLD-dominated Parliament proposed the "State Counsellor" bill, which the President U Htin Kyaw signed into law in early April.

The military lawmakers said the bill was unconstitutional and all of them boycotted the proceedings by refusing to cast a ballot during the session.

As for the NLD, the position was created out of political necessity: though Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's party won the landslide in the election, she is barred from the presidency in the military-drafted Constitution. The military leadership might have seen that it was above the law as Daw Aung San Suu Kyi created a position "above the president."

Over the past one and half years in office, the NLD-government has found it difficult to rule the country as it planned to in important areas such as the peace process, amending some laws, planning to change the undemocratic Constitution and other issues, including tackling the urgent Rakhine conflict. For those sectors, the military is at the center among all key stakeholders.

The military and the government are not going at the same pace in tackling all the issues. In all security measures, the military calls the shots—especially in fighting with ethnic armed groups and waging military operations against militant group the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, which launched orchestrated attacks on government security outposts in late August.

It's sheer unrealistic for someone to imagine that the country's current political transition will advance without the role of the military or the military will leave the political arena to return to its barracks in the near future.

In 2012, the then defence minister Lt-Gen Hla Min said at the security forum of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore that the Tatmadaw "may play a lesser role in politics once the country is more developed and that when the time is appropriate, there would be changes and the 20 percent participation in the national legislature could be reduced." Five years after, the military hasn't changed that standing at all.

Certainly, Myanmar's politics and its democratic transition need the military's collaboration.

If the military fully collaborates, the transition will be swift. If the military hesitates, the transition will be sluggish. If the military has no collaboration at all, it will stall completely.

The post Reassessing the Role of Myanmar's Powerful Military appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Workshop Inspires Hope for Myanmar’s Film Heritage

Posted: 20 Oct 2017 05:09 AM PDT

YANGON — A pioneering workshop for film preservation techniques aiming to raise awareness about the deteriorating situation of old Myanmar film reels and to teach best practices of maintaining them was held in Yangon this week.

The two-day workshop—the first of its kind in Myanmar—was organized by the Save Myanmar Film team in cooperation with Unesco's Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific (MOWCAP).

Fifteen participants including four government officials from the Ministry of Information's Motion Picture Development Branch attended the workshop, coached by two well-known archivists from Australia, according to Save Myanmar Film.

Save Myanmar Film is a project that seven local filmmakers launched earlier this year to raise awareness about audio-visual restoration of films and film-related materials including posters, scripts and photographs.

Maung Okkar, a member of Save Myanmar Film, said the workshop is an important first step for archiving, restoring and digitalizing film reels in the future.

"We can't do anything about digitalization if there is nothing left," he said. "We took this initiative to store and preserve the existing film reels."

Myanmar started making films in 1920 and hundreds of black-and-white films, including silent ones, were produced. The period from the 1950s to the 1970s is still viewed by many as the industry's "golden age," with local filmmakers producing nearly 100 original films each year on average in a competitive market.

Together with hundreds of news and documentary reels from over the past decades, there are only 12 black-and-white and 127 color films currently housed at the Film Archive office situated in commercial capital Yangon and some reels are in danger of deteriorating, according to U Bhone, caretaker of the vault.

Many reels are damaged every year at the archive vault due to outdated preservation techniques.

Ray Edmondson, an award-winning audiovisual archivist and one of the two instructors at the workshop, told The Irrawaddy that the archiving system in Myanmar is still in its early stages. However, awareness raising and capacity building would make people informed about what is happening and what is missing, he continued.

Award-winning audiovisual archivist Ray Edmondson was photographed during the workshop on October 19, 2017. (Photo: Tin Htet Paing/ The Irrawaddy)

Edmondson said cinema is a part of Myanmar's national memory and identity, which must be looked after. Those who work in film preservation need commitment, enthusiasm and persistence, he explained.

"It is not a field [in which] we get rich. You don't get famous. You don't get anything… You do it because it matters," Edmondson said.

U Han Linn Aung, a workshop participant and an assistant director at the Motion Picture Development Branch, told The Irrawaddy that such an opportunity is valuable to him because he could relay his knowledge of film preservation techniques to future generations of cinema lovers so that they could develop them further.

He feels nostalgic whenever he sees film reels, he said, as he worked in a motion picture department for more than two decades.

"Film reels speak to us about many things—histories, diverse cultures and many more things that we weren't there to witness," he said.

"If we start preserving the current conditions well now, our future generations will be able to work better with what we hand over to them."

Two archivists from Australia; Mick Newnham (L) and Ray Edmondson (R), were photographed during the workshop on October 19, 2017. (Photo: Tin Htet Paing/ The Irrawaddy)

The post Workshop Inspires Hope for Myanmar's Film Heritage appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Police Hunt Man Who Claimed to be Next Buddha to Abuse Young Women

Posted: 20 Oct 2017 04:52 AM PDT

MAWLAMYINE, Mon State — The Mon State government has issued a warrant for the arrest of Khun Tan, who reportedly claimed to be the next Buddha and seduced young girls to have sex with him, said Mon State chief minister Dr Aye Zan.

"We've issued an arrest warrant for him for defaming Buddhism. Khun Tan has, however, escaped, but we've got five of his accomplices," Dr. Aye Zan told The Irrawaddy.

Khun Tan, also known as Zat Lite, has reportedly fled to Hopong in Shan State's Taunggyi District, and the Mon State government is cooperating with the Shan State government to apprehend him, he added.

According to Pa-O ethnic Ko Khun Aung Myo Thein, a resident of Mon State's Thaton, Khun Tan was born in Kone Tha village in Hopong Township and arrived in Thaton around 18 years ago when he was seven.

Local Pa-O people were led to believe that he was the reincarnation of Alantaya Sayadaw Ashin Sakka—a Pa-O ethnic monk who was quite influential and respected among not only Pa-O people but also across the country.

"As far as I'm concerned, Khun Tan could not speak Burmese well. I believe he won't declare himself to be the reincarnation of Alantaya Sayadaw. But I don't know if there are people who are fabricating information," Ko Khun Aung Myo Thein told The Irrawaddy.

Khun Tan allegedly convinced Pa-O parents living in the Alantaya religious area—the area surrounding the monastery of Alantaya Sayadaw—that their daughters would be blessed if they have sex with him after they reach puberty.

According to Pa-O ethnic affairs minister of Mon State government Daw San Wint Khaing, such cases began in 2012, and Khun Tan has allegedly slept with hundreds of girls mostly aged around 15.

Ko Khun Aung Myo Thein explained that according to tradition of Pa-O people, persons who are destined to face ill fortune according to their horoscopes can avert it by nominally marrying a person who is believed to have good fortune.

"So, there is such a tradition. But marrying is jut nominal and it doesn't include sex," he said.

Ko Khun Aung Myo Thein however objected to the term used by media "offering of virginity" to describe Khun Tan's alleged sex with young girls and said that he had no comment if or not Khun Tan has actually slept with them.

Dr. Aye Zan said his government has been shadowing Khun Tan for two months, and has a record of his offences, but could not take actions against him as no one filed a lawsuit.

"The problem was that such a case needs to be filed by the girls. But girls didn't file a complaint, and it is difficult for us to intervene," said Dr. Aye Zan.

However, on Oct. 2, a complaint was filed with the Mon State Parliament Women and Child Rights Protection Committee, saying that Khun Tan had seduced five girls, aged between 16 and 18, in Alantaya religious area and three surrounding villages to marry him.

"Since the locals are very poorly educated, they believed that he was the Buddha-to-be and offering virgin sex would bring [their daughters] good luck," ethnic affairs minister Daw San Wint Khaing told The Irrawaddy.

According to her, Khun Tan either paid or threatened girls in Alantaya religious area to have sex with him.

Thaton District General Administration Department is interrogating the administrator of Zayit Chaung village for allegedly covering up two rape cases committed by Khun Tan, district commissioner U Teza Aung told The Irrawaddy.

Daw Khaing Khaing Lei, chairperson of Mon State Parliament Women and Child Rights Protection Committee, and Pa-O ethnic affairs minister Daw San Wint Khaing have received messages of death threats on social media following the disclosure of the case.

Union minister for Religious Affairs and Culture U Aung Ko has told reporters in Naypyitaw that his ministry would definitely take action against Khun Tan.

The post Police Hunt Man Who Claimed to be Next Buddha to Abuse Young Women appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Police Arrest Seven Self-identifying Rohingya in Irrawaddy Region

Posted: 20 Oct 2017 04:45 AM PDT

PATHEIN, Irrawaddy Region — Police arrested seven self-identifying Rohingya and three others believed to be traveling to Yangon, in Kyangin Township, Irrawaddy Region on Wednesday evening.

Police spotted a car carrying seven self-identifying Rohingya at an inspection gate in Kyangin Township, and arrested them as well as the car driver and his assistant.

"In cooperation with the Rakhine Police Force, we also arrested a resident of Rakhine State's Minbya Township called Ko Shae (aka) Kyaw Win (aka) Nyi Shae on Wednesday. He arranged for transportation of self-identifying Rohingya to Yangon. We will bring him to Irrawaddy and investigate," spokesperson of Irrawaddy Division Police Force Police Lt-Col Khin Maung Latt told The Irrawaddy.

Myanmar's minority Muslims in Rakhine State—who identify as Rohingya but are labeled "Bengali" by many—are denied basic human rights by the Myanmar government including access to healthcare, education, and freedom of movement.

Nearly 600,000 self-identifying Rohingya have fled northern Rakhine State since Aug. 25 after deadly militant attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army prompted a violent government security crackdown dogged by accusations of rape, extrajudicial killings, and arson.

The UN has labeled the government's actions in Rakhine State a "text book example of ethnic cleansing."

Kyangin Township Immigration department has filed a lawsuit against the seven self-identifying Rohingyas under Residents of Burma Registration Rules 1951. Police have charged the driver, his assistant and Ko Shae.

Police searched the truck at an inspection gate in Kyangin Township's Zibinkwin village-tract and discovered seven self-identifying Rohingyas hiding among 260 rice bags in the truck.

According to an initial police investigation, driver Hla Myint and his assistant Yan Maung Tun transported commodities from Yangon to Sittwe and arrived in Minbya on October 15. There, the two met Ko Shae who persuaded them to take self-identifying Rohingyas to Yangon and paid 800,000 kyats in transportation fees for each of them.

Hla Myint accepted the job to transport the self-identifying Rohingya to 'Min Mahar' filling station in Yangon's Hlaingthayar Township where a man called Abul Sede was supposed to meet them, according to the police.

Ko Shae picked up seven self-identifying Rohingyas onto the truck outside Minbya on Tuesday evening. The truck was stopped in Kyangin on its way to Yangon the following day, said the police.

"Taking a look at this case, we can see that they have connections and selected a route and acted according to a plan. We will keep increased security measures to find out similar cases," said police Lt-Col Khin Maung Latt.

Police stations along the coast of Irrawaddy Region have been put on high alert since Aug. 26 over fears that violence in Rakhine State could spill over to the adjacent region.

The post Police Arrest Seven Self-identifying Rohingya in Irrawaddy Region appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Gold Thief Detained at Famous Mandalay Pagoda

Posted: 20 Oct 2017 04:30 AM PDT

MANDALAY — A man who scraped gold from Mandalay's ancient bronze Mahamuni Buddha image was arrested on Thursday, said Mahamuni Pagoda trustees.

"We saw him on our security cameras, scraping out the gold from the back of the Mahamuni image on Wednesday evening. We then deployed more security and were able to arrest him when he returned for the second time the next day," said U Soe Lin, president of the pagoda's trustee board.

Tun Aung Kyaw, 30, from Mandalay's Maha Aung Myay Township, was arrested by security at the pagoda and handed over to the police on the same evening.

With a short piece of steel pipe tucked up his sleeve, Tun Aung Kyaw mingled with other pilgrims who were applying gold leaves to the 6.5-ton image as offerings.

Devotees have regularly applied gold leaves to the image over the centuries. Except for the face, the image is covered with layers of gold believed to be about 15 centimeters thick.

Tun Aung Kyaw then used the pipe to scrape the gilded gold from the back of the Buddha image, the security cameras show.

"During interrogation, he said the gold was sold to a goldsmith in Mhan Myo Zay Market. And he has been scraping out the gold since October 10," said U Soe Lin.

According to the trustees and police records, Tun Aung Kyaw took about 3.5 grams of gold each time he visited the image. He received between 170,000 to 200,000 kyats from the goldsmith for 3.5 grams.

The trustees of the pagoda said this is the first time gold has been removed from the image.

The trustees added that the security of the pagoda will remain the same, however, they will do more watching over the security cameras.

Tun Aung Kyaw was detained at the police station in Chan Mya Tharzi Township and is under interrogation, according to police. He is being charged with theft and defaming Buddhism.

The post Gold Thief Detained at Famous Mandalay Pagoda appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Popular Bagan Pagoda Closes After Terrace Collapse

Posted: 20 Oct 2017 03:57 AM PDT

YANGON — One of the most popular sunset-viewing pagodas in the ancient city of Bagan is temporarily closed to the public after the lower parts of the first terraces in the southeastern part of the pagoda collapsed on Wednesday because of rains, according to the Department of Archaeology, National Museum and Library (Bagan Branch).

Shwesandaw Pagoda, with its white pyramid-style pagoda cut with five terraces and stairs leading to the circular stupa, is one of only two pagodas from which visitors are allowed to view the sunset.

"We have to do repairs and also test the strength of the pagoda in its other parts. So we will close the pagoda for a while," director of the department U Aung Aung Kyaw told The Irrawaddy.

Previously, five temples were open to visitors to view the sunset in Bagan, but after hundreds of pagodas were damaged by a powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake in August last year, authorities now only allow sunset viewing at Shwesandaw and Taung Guni pagodas which are physically safer for visitors to climb.

It was built in 1057 by King Anawrahta, the founder of the Pagan Empire and widely considered the father of the Burmese nation.

Though the collapse is mainly due to rains, the fact that about 1,000 visitors climb on the pagoda daily to see sunset also played a part, said U Aung Aung Kyaw.

The collapse, however, will not have an impact on Myanmar's bid for nomination of Bagan as a Unesco World Heritage Site, he said.

"It has been raining steadily these days in Bagan. As the bricks [of the pagoda] date back to the 11th Century, there are already cracks, and when water got into those cracks, it collapsed," said U Khin Maung Nu, chairman of community-based Bagan Development Association.

Bagan has stupas, temples and other Buddhist religious buildings constructed from the 9th to 11th centuries—a period in which some 50 Buddhist kings ruled the Pagan Dynasty. There are more than 3,000 stupas and temples in the area.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Popular Bagan Pagoda Closes After Terrace Collapse appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Ethnic Armed Groups Lament ‘Delayed’ Peace Process

Posted: 20 Oct 2017 02:12 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW — The new peace process under the National League for Democracy (NLD) government has been sluggish, according to some ethnic armed groups, who cite differences between the Tatmadaw and government as well as a lack of experience and skills in those leading the process.

"It has been delayed," said Saw Mra Raza Lin, vice chairperson of the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP). "If the government care about the people and the country, it should prioritize how to overcome those delays."

While there are differences within the government, ethnic armed organizations (EAO) are also not unified, proposing alternative approaches to peace building, which has hampered the process, she said.

"It is the disunity among the EAOs which is hindering the process to step up. So we, including the government, all have to try to get all of the EAOs on board," she added.

According to peace observers, clashes between the Tatmadaw and nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA)-signatories reduced by 90 percent after signing the NCA. The Myanmar Army chief has said all EAOs must sign the NCA to join political dialogue, whether they are in clashes with the Tatmadaw or not.

Problems with leadership have strained the peace process, according to EAO leaders, as the country requires decisions from the civilian government and the military, which holds key security powers, to move forward on issues.

Previous chief peace negotiator U Aung Min convinced former president U Thein Sein to support him, enabling U Aung Min to effectively work with Tatmadaw generals. But this aspect of the peace process is missing under the NLD government, said a peace negotiator from the All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF).

The peace negotiator who asked for anonymity told The Irrawaddy that if NCA signatories did not sign the NCA under the U Thein Sein administration, signing under the current circumstances would be impossible.

"The current peace negotiators can not make any decisions. All have to go to the State Counselor, who is the chief peace negotiator. Besides, we have seen some negotiations regress, as the Tatmadaw does not agree on the negotiations although the government has agreed," he said.

Khun Okker, patron of the Pa-O National Liberation Organisation, said the government wants to allow ethnic armed groups to hold national-level political dialogues freely but the Tatmadaw wants controls.

He is optimistic, however, that if the NCA is maintained, the aspiration of peace will not be destroyed despite the country being far from achieving it.

"The slow movement in the peace efforts are due to the people," he said, tersely appraising the peace process.

Leaders of NCA signatories hold government leaders and the Tatmadaw directly responsible for the delays, although they welcomed the start of political dialogue after 70 years of civil war.

"The main hurdle is how to do the ceasefire. There is no restriction either by the government or the Tatmadaw on whichever status of the delegates joining the [union peace conferences]," said U Min Zaw Oo, advisor to the peace commission, who has been involved in the peace process since its inception.

The government peace commission is still in talks with the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) to sign the NCA. They will meet on Oct 23-24 in Yangon for their seventh round of talks over the nine-point proposal of the UNFC.

The current peace process continues in two different paths. The NCA signatories are moving forward to reach a lasting peace in the southern part of the country, while clashes persist in the north.

The government sticks firmly to the NCA, while new the Federal Political Negotiation Consultative Committee (FPNCC), led by the United Wa State Army (UWSA) urge for an alternative approach.

Notably, the FPNCC and the UNFC did not join the celebration of the two-year anniversary of eight EAOs signing the NCA last week.

"We invited them [the non-signatories of NCA], they did not come. Same for last year. If I have to frankly criticize, they do not want to acknowledge the work of the eight EAOs and the government and the Tatmadaw. If they come, it shows that they are with us; as they don't want to show this, they avoid," said Khun Okker.

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Activists set Talks with Chevron on Myanmar Rights Concerns

Posted: 19 Oct 2017 10:42 PM PDT

BOSTON/HOUSTON, United States — Shareholder activists will speak with Chevron Corp next week to request the energy giant use its influence with the government of Myanmar to press for a resolution of ethnic violence that has led to a refugee crisis.

Joshua Brockwell, communications director for Azzad Asset Management, said the firm and other activist investors planned to press Chevron executives on Oct. 25 to discuss a letter they sent that also asked the company to consider cutting ties with "governments complicit in genocide."

Chevron, the second-largest US-based oil producer, does business in Myanmar through a subsidiary, Unocal Myanmar Offshore Co Ltd. It has projects that include a minority interest in natural gas production and a pipeline, according to the company's website.

Asked about Azzad's concerns, Chevron spokesman Melissa Ritchie said "Chevron conducts our business in a responsible manner, respecting the law and universal human rights to benefit the communities where we work, including Myanmar."

"In our experience, peace, stability and the protection of human rights provide the best foundation for the economic development of a region and associated improvement in living conditions for communities," she said via e-mail, confirming that the company would speak to the investors.

More than 536,000 self-identifying Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar since Aug. 25, when coordinated Muslim insurgent attacks sparked a ferocious military response, with the fleeing people accusing security forces of arson, killings and rape.

In September the United Nations' top human rights official accused Myanmar of conducting a "cruel military operation" against self-identifying Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State, calling it "a textbook example of ethnic cleansing."

Azzad's Brockwell said his firm was "growing increasingly concerned over the lack of a constructive response from Chevron" on its requests since the letter was sent, in August.

Brockwell said it might also file a shareholder resolution for Chevron's next annual meeting, similar to one Azzad and others filed for its 2017 meeting in May. That resolution called for a report evaluating whether Chevron should stop doing business with governments complicit in genocide or crimes against humanity. The resolution received support from 6 percent of shares voted.

In addition to Azzad, an Islamic finance firm, the other lead filer of the resolution was a Catholic religious order, the Ursuline Sisters of Tildonk.

Simon Billenness, executive director of International Campaign for the Rohingya, a Washington, DC, advocacy group, said it planned to send similar letters to other companies doing business in Myanmar, signed by shareholders in those companies.

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2.8 Billion Kyats Worth of Methamphetamine Pills Seized in Rakhine

Posted: 19 Oct 2017 10:36 PM PDT

YANGON — Police seized 2.8 billion kyats (about US$2 million) worth of methamphetamine pills over two days in conflict-torn Maungdaw Township in Rakhine State.

Police collected information and acted on a tip-off to make arrests for drug smuggling, Police Lt-Col Nyan Win Oo of Maungdaw District Police Force told The Irrawaddy.

On Tuesday, police seized 0.9 billion kyats worth of tablets from a Daihatsu Hijet microvan on the highway in No. 5 Ward in Maungdaw, and also arrested a suspect.

The following day, police seized 1.9 billion kyats worth of tablets branded with a "WY" logo from a Nissan car heading from Buthidaung Township at the entrance to Maungdaw. Police arrested two suspects in the car but the man behind the wheel escaped.

A police dog sniffs a car to search for drugs. (Photo: Maungdaw District Police Force)

According to the police, the suspects are residents of Sittwe, Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships.

From January to the end of July, police seized 12.7386 billion kyats worth of  "WY" pills in Rakhine State, mostly in Sittwe and Maungdaw townships. Besides the pills, marijuana and other methamphetamines were seized in drug busts, according to the police.

According to the Rakhine Police Force, police arrested 106 persons—94 males and 12 females—in connection with those drug cases.

In earlier October, police seized more than three billion kyats (US$2.2 million) worth of pills from two Myanmar Army soldiers in Maungdaw.

Drug seizures have increased in Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Rathedaung townships near the Myanmar-Bangladesh border since last year, when more than 50 million "yaba" pills were seized in two separate drug busts in Maungdaw.

Police launched an anti-drug campaign called "Mayu" after the mountain range in Rakhine State in February, but drug cases are still rampant in the area.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Japan’s Emperor Akihito Likely to Abdicate at End-March 2019: Asahi

Posted: 19 Oct 2017 09:49 PM PDT

TOKYO — Japan's Emperor Akihito is likely to abdicate at the end of March 2019 and Crown Prince Naruhito is expected to ascend the throne in April, the first abdication by a Japanese monarch in nearly two centuries, the Asahi newspaper reported on Friday.

The government is in the final stage of formalizing the schedule, said the Asahi, citing several sources.

Ahikito, 83, who has had heart surgery and treatment for prostate cancer, said in rare public remarks last year he feared age might make it hard for him to continue to fulfill his duties.

He will be succeeded by Naruhito, 57, and a new era will start from April 1, the Asahi reported.

The expected schedule would minimize the impact on people in changing to a new imperial reign from the current Heisei Era, which started in 1989 after the death of Akihito's father Hirohito, according to the Asahi.

Also, the Imperial Household Agency wanted the transition to take place in spring 2019 as many ritual events are scheduled for the imperial family in autumn and winter, the report said.

Akihito, the first Japanese emperor who was never considered divine, has worked for decades at home and abroad to soothe the wounds of World War Two which was fought in his father Hirohito's name.

In a written remarks of her 83rd birthday on Friday, Empress Michiko said that she thought this year her travels with Emperor Ahikito around Japan might be their last and have become deeply emotional.

The Empress also said she felt "an immeasurable sense of peace" that Akihito will be able to rest and spend quiet days after years of pursuing how the Emperor should be.

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Thursday, October 19, 2017

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Analysis: Still Hope Kofi Annan Recommendations will Bring Stability to Rakhine

Posted: 19 Oct 2017 05:51 AM PDT

YANGON — During his five-day trip to Myanmar, the United Nation's under-secretary-general for political affairs urged the government and military to comprehensively implement the recommendations from the Kofi Annan-led Advisory Commission on Rakhine State.

Under-Secretary-General Jeffrey Feltman is the highest UN official so far to urge the government and the country's powerful military to implement the recommendations.

His visit came days after ex-UN chief Kofi Annan's briefing to UN Security Council members in his capacity as chair of the advisory commission, which was mandated to make recommendations for improving the situation in the state on conflict prevention, humanitarian assistance, reconciliation, institution-building and development.

He said the recommendations of the advisory commission could still serve as a solid framework for achieving lasting peace in Rakhine before he highlighted some of the central issues the commission addressed in its recommendations.

The issues include poverty, citizenship verification, closing internally displaced people (IDP) camps, border security and enhancing inter-communal dialogue between Arakanese and Muslims.

"Implementation of our recommendations could help to stabilize the situation and address the humanitarian crisis," he told the council members on Friday.

Soon after the release of the recommendations, Muslim militant group the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) attacked 30 police outposts and an army base in northern Rakhine.

The attacks triggered Myanmar Army clearance operations, which forced more than 536,000 self-identifying Rohingya Muslims to flee for Bangladesh, bringing with them reports of indiscriminate killing, rape and arson by security forces.

Tens of thousands of Arakanese have fled militant violence to other parts of the state, with the government denouncing ARSA as a terrorist group and saying it kills civilians.

Kofi Annan said at the press briefing of the Security Council meeting that everybody present agreed on the short-term requirements—the cessation of violence, provision of humanitarian assistance to those in need, and work for the eventual voluntary return of those who in Bangladesh.

Based on the discussion with Security Council members on Oct. 13, he said, the international community was prepared to engage with Myanmar, working on all the issues the commission has recommended in order to stabilize the situation.

"If we don't, we are going to have a long term frustrating problem in the region which can be very serious down the line," he warned.

Despite his encouragement to implement the recommendations, Kofi Annan acknowledged that it was difficult to get coherent and coordinated implementation of these recommendations because of the duality in the Myanmar leadership—both government and military hold powerful positions.

"But we need to press ahead to work with the both sides and make sure that as a government they work together," he said.

"I think it's important for Myanmar that [if] Rakhine is settled, that would give them time and space to focus on other major problems in the country at large because it can take lots of time and effort and resources," he added.

The Myanmar government has welcomed the recommendations and vowed to implement them in the shortest possible time frame, according to a statement from the State Counselor's Office shortly after the report's release.

But the ARSA offensive has delayed the implementations. Only on Sep. 12—18 days after the attacks—was a ministerial committee formed for the recommendations' rapid implementations.

Some pilot projects were under way earlier this week, such as resettlement for Rakhine and Muslims villagers whose houses were burnt down. At the same time, national verifications cards for the citizenship process are being issued to Muslims at Shwezar village tract in Rakhine's Maungdaw Township, according to local media reports.

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Police Bring Five Charges Against Son of Former Sports Minister

Posted: 19 Oct 2017 05:10 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW —Police have brought three more charges against U Phyo Ko Ko Tint San, bringing the total number of charges to five.

The son of former sports minister U Tint San has been in detention in Naypyitaw since Sunday for illegal possession of firearms and illicit drugs.

"Dekkhinathiri Police Station has filed three more charges against U Phyo Ko Ko Tint San," police captain Myint Soe of Dekkhinathiri central police station told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday.

New charges include Article 67 of the Telecommunications Law for keeping walkie-talkies, Article 8 of the Export/Import Law for keeping drones, and Article 61(a) of the State Secrets Act for unauthorized use of National Security Council (NSC) logos in cars, and possession of bullet-proof jackets and camouflage jackets with SWAT badges similar to those worn by bodyguards of President U Htin Kyaw and State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Permanent secretary of the home affairs ministry U Tin Myint said an agency with such a badge and uniform did not exist, and that only the Union government could form such an agency.

"There are incumbent officials and staff [of the ministry] who we've assigned security duties. And we are investigating to take actions against those who form [unofficial security agencies] themselves and hold guns," he said.

According to the police investigation, U Phyo Ko Ko Tint San had been planning to establish a security company, but the badges and logos discovered in his property were problematic, said lawyer U Than Zaw Aung.

"Can a private security company use terms like 'national' and 'council'? Normally 'special force' is the term used only by an armed organization and there is a need to find out his intention," he said.
"Various police agencies such as CID [Criminal Investigation Department] and the drug squad, and Naypyitaw police force are investigating into the case," said Police Lt-Col Hla Yi of Naypyitaw Police Force.

According to the police, violation of Article 67 of the Telecommunications Law is punishable by one year's imprisonment, Article 8 of the Export/Import Law, three years' imprisonment and Article 61(a) State Secrets Act, two years' imprisonment.

On Sunday evening, police detained U Phyo Ko Ko Tint San at Naypyitaw Airport after discovering WY tablets, methamphetamine, two pistols and 72 bullets in his backpack.

Police have so far detained 12 people in connection with the case, and reportedly seized over 20 firearms, and thousands of bullets at his house, company and hotel in Naypyitaw and Yangon.

U Phyo Ko Ko Tint San is the chairman of ACE Co and contested in the 2012 by-election in Irrawaddy Region's Myaungmya Township, but lost.

Additional Reporting by Htun Htun 

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Two Dead in Kandawgyi Palace Hotel Fire

Posted: 19 Oct 2017 04:37 AM PDT

YANGON — Two people were killed and another two were injured in a fire that gutted the Kandawgyi Palace Hotel in central Yangon on Thursday morning.

The body of a Japanese businessman in his sixties was identified by the Japanese Embassy on Thursday and the body of a second person, found on the hotel's fifth floor, was sent to Yangon Hospital for a post-mortem, said U Htay Lwin, spokesperson of Htoo Group of Companies which operates the hotel.

"We are still identifying the nationality of the victim. We'll check CCTV records and publish the findings. But for the time being, we don't know the cause of the fire," he said.

A fire broke out on the fifth floor of the hotel around 3 a.m. on Thursday morning, and a Chinese woman from Macao jumped from the 3rd floor of the hotel to escape the fire, causing hip injuries.

Firefighter U Kyaw Swar Lin sustained a head injury after a wooden beam fell on him and broke apart his helmet. He was then rushed to Yangon People's Hospital and underwent an emergency operation.

A fire at Kandawgyi Palace Hotel seen across Kandawgyi Lake in Central Yangon. (Photo: Myo Min Soe/ The Irrawaddy)

After police questioned managers U Thiha and U Kyaw Min Soe of the hotel, they were charged with causing accidental death under Article 304 (a) of the Penal Code and causing the fire, according to U Hla Htay, lawmaker representing Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township in the Yangon regional parliament.

"The hotel was already on fire when I heard two blasts. I was at the scene around 3.30 a.m. It was an intense blaze, then I heard blasts of something like gas cylinders and oil tanks," said a witness who lives at an apartment near the hotel.

According to U Htay Lwin, the hotel has fire insurance with Myanma Insurance, and also has insurance for guests at a foreign insurance company.

At the time of the outbreak, 141 guests—most of them foreigners—were lodging at the hotel. Guests were transferred to the Chatrium Hotel and Rose Garden Hotel.

The fire damaged about 80 percent of the hotel, and the company is yet to calculate financial loss, said U Htay Lwin.

Firefighters remove a body from the Kandawgyi Palace Hotel. (Photo: Wai Hnin Htut/ The Irrawaddy)

The location of the Kandawgyi Palace Hotel is said, according to the hotel's website, to be the place famous Mon Queen Shin Saw Bu took her last breathe. The oldest parts of the existing building were built during the era of British Burma and became the exclusive "Boat Club" in 1934, where it served as home to the European community in what was then known as Rangoon.

The place became the site of the Rangoon Rowing Club, a popular haunt with British officers and elite expatriates in the 1930s. During World War II, the two-story, red-brick building was used by the Japanese as a welfare department. In 1948, the property became the National Biological Museum and in 1979, the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism took over the site and converted it into a hotel, featuring 10 teak bungalows, which in 1993 were replaced by a larger lakeside building.

The building that was burnt down on Thursday morning was built in the design of golden-teak Thai architecture, as operators Baiyoke Group of Hotels hail from Bangkok, according to the Kandawgyi Palace Hotel. It has been operated by Htoo Group of Companies under his hospitality business until now.

Firefighters fight a blaze at Kandawgyi Palace Hotel. (Photo: Myo Min Soe/ The Irrawaddy)

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Five Miners Shot Dead at Kachin Jade Mine

Posted: 19 Oct 2017 04:10 AM PDT

MANDALAY — Five freelance miners were shot dead and at least 20 injured when security forces opened fire on them for scavenging for jade scraps on Wednesday evening in the Lone Kin mining area of Kachin State.

According to witnesses, police tried to stop a couple of prospectors who were searching for residues of jade at the operation of Myanmar-China joint venture Triple One Company in the Ngopin Phawar jade mining area of Sankhar village.

A witness who did not want to be named out of fear for their safety said a prospector complained of being injured by a stone thrown by police.

"Angry prospectors gathered later and confronted the police," said the witness.

A group of prospectors then attacked the police, who were providing security for the mining company, and destroyed a piece of heavy machinery, according to first-hand accounts.

"The prospectors and the police threw stones at each other. Both sides were hurt and later the police opened fire, killing five prospectors on the spot," said the witness, adding that out of the injured, nine were in a serious condition. Two policemen, one of them a colonel, were also injured, said witnesses.

The police station in Lone Kin said the incident is under investigation and declined to comment further.

Local lawmakers told The Irrawaddy those who sustained serious injuries were sent to Myitkyina Hospital in the Kachin capital while others were sent to Lone Kin Hospital for treatment.

"The prospectors are allowed to work under a time limit in certain areas. We heard the prospectors went before the opening time and clashed with the police there," said U Lashi Daseng, MP of Hpakant.

The lawmaker said the situation in the area is under control and calm.

In Lone Kin and Hpakant jade mining areas, clashes between freelance miners, jade mining firms and security forces are not uncommon, as the firms do not want the prospectors to work in their areas.

Local administration offices have mediated negotiations between the prospectors and firms in order to allow prospectors restricted access to the areas.

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Tanintharyi Land Protest Canceled at Last Minute

Posted: 19 Oct 2017 02:54 AM PDT

MAWLAMYINE, Mon State — Some 200 demonstrators canceled a protest against Tanintharyi Region's chief minister, agriculture and irrigation minister and municipal minister over land confiscation for Dawei Urban Development Project at the last minute on Wednesday morning.

At first demonstrators refused to disperse though police discouraged them from staging a protest, saying that the placards and slogans prepared by the demonstrators are against the peaceful assembly and procession law.

The placards labeled the Tanintharyi Region government inefficient and also called for the resignations of the chief minister and two other ministers.

"At the last minute, we protest leaders negotiated with participants and decided to cancel the protest in consideration of regional law and order. We decided not to stage the protest because we were not allowed to hold those placards," Ma Yi Yi Htwe, a protest leader told The Irrawaddy.

Police put barriers to stop protestors. (Photo: Nyan Hline)

The placards reflect the voices of farmers and people and protestors decided not to stage a protest without those placards, she said.

The regional government said that over 350 acres of land in what is now the Dawei Urban Development Project area were confiscated for government ownership since 1990, but farmers said they paid to farm the land until 2011.

The U Thein Sein government leased out the land to private companies to build government buildings, residential apartments and shopping centers in an urban development project, leading to clashes between the authorities, company employees and local farmers.

The Tanintharyi regional government said in a statement on Sept. 17, 2017 that 40 by 60 foot plots of land in other locations have been recompensed to 63 of 70 farmers whose farmlands are in the urban development project area.

The statement also said the regional government would recompense land plots for the seven remaining farmers. However, the farmers have refused to accept land compensation, and called for talks with the government and private companies.

The government of the National League for Democracy (NLD) continued leasing out farmlands to private businesspeople though local farmers hoped that it would return those lands instead, said Ma Yi Yi Htwe.

"Chief minister Dr. Lei Lei Maw, and the agricultural and municipal ministers are mainly responsible for this. So, we planned to stage a demonstration to call for their resignation," said Ma Yi Yi Htwe.

Dawei Public Development Co has won most of the contracts for property development on the controversial lands and has been building residences for ministers, apartments for parliament staff, and residential buildings. About 20 farmers have been sued in clashes with company employees since construction started, according to Ma Yi Yi Htwe.

The Irrawaddy was not able to contact concerned police officers, lawmakers and the speaker of the regional parliament for their remarks.

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Wreckage of Missing Military Jet Found

Posted: 19 Oct 2017 01:12 AM PDT

PATHEIN, Irrawaddy Region — The wreckage of a Myanmar Air Force training jet that went missing more than one month ago was found on Wednesday evening, some 12 miles south of Gwa Township in Rakhine State.

The G-4 military training aircraft flown by two pilots disappeared during a training exercise over Pathein, Gwa, Hinthada, and back to Pathein, the capital of Irrawaddy Region, on Sept. 5. The plane lost contact about 36 miles northwest of Pathein.

A senior military officer who joined the search for the aircraft confirmed on the condition of anonymity to The Irrawaddy that the wreckage was recovered on Wednesday evening.

He said more troops would be brought on the area on Thursday to continue the search.

Ground troops carried out the search for the missing aircraft, with help from the air force's aircraft and helicopters.

On Wednesday—the 44th day of the search and rescue mission—troops found the plane's nose cone, one wheel, two wings, and machine parts, according to a statement from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services. The statement also said "seat" and "parachute" were recovered but did not clarify whether it was one or two.

The search continues for pilot Maj. Kaung Htike and co-pilot Capt. Thaw Zin Soe along with the rest of the wreckage. An investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing.

The incident came two months after a Chinese-made Y-8-200F Myanmar military transport plane crashed into the Andaman Sea on route to Yangon, killing all 122 soldiers, family members and crew on board. State media in July said the plane nosedived into the sea because of bad weather.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Myanmar set for First Off-Road Motorbike Competition

Posted: 18 Oct 2017 11:37 PM PDT

MANDALAY — Off-road motorcyclists are preparing for Myanmar's first enduro competition, a long-distance cross-country time trial to be held in Mandalay.

The Myanmar Enduro Competition 2017 will take place on Nov. 18 on Nay Kar Hill Range in Patheingyi Township, about 10 kilometers east of Mandalay city center, and include a 17.5 kilometer track.

"We organized this as the country's first, to unearth the skilled enduro riders of the country as well as to create awareness about the enduro motorcycles and the sport," said the organizer Ko Aung Win Tun, a member of Mandalay Free Rider group.

Mandalay is not only known as Myanmar's cultural capital but also as a city of motorbikes, with the population having the highest rate of motorbike ownership in the country.

Many young motorcyclists ride enduro motorcycles such as the Yamaha Street Tracker and Honda Grom, not to race but to ride for pleasure on the streets on Mandalay.

Although there has been high interest in competitions, motorcyclists have been hampered by a lack of racing circuits to practice off-road. Many risk their own and other lives by practicing stunts and racing on city roads.

"From this competition, we would like to show how these off-road motorcycles are used. We are also hoping to open the racing opportunities for the sport enthusiasts and to have racing circuits in the future, too," said Ko Aung Win Tun.

The competition is exclusively for Myanmar riders. However, riders from five enduro clubs from China, Thailand and Indonesia will ride with the Myanmar competitors as honorary guests.

According to the organizers, the competition has no restrictions on the type or brand of motorcycle used. There will be two types of race groups split by engine power: 125-230CC and 231-650CC.

"There will be a challenge race at the base camp, on that day, just for the amateur riders, just for fun. Anyone who is interested can participate in this walk-in competition. We have no limitations on the motorcycles for that race," he added.

A photography competition for photographers across the country will run along with the enduro competition.

The distribution of competition entry forms will begin this weekend at motorbike stores in Mandalay. Organizers are hoping dozens of riders will enter.

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Wednesday, October 18, 2017

The Irrawaddy Magazine

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Magyi Khon Nang Wants Justice

Posted: 17 Oct 2017 08:36 PM PDT

An ethnic Kachin woman in faded clothes, carrying a small baby, entered the compound of the Myanmar Army Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 319 in Kachin State's Mansi Township.

She came to attend a military court hearing and to seek justice for her late husband who was killed before she gave birth to their last child, who is now three months old.

In 2014, Magyi Khon Nang fled clashes between the Tatmadaw and Kachin Independence Army (KIA) along with her husband Labya Naw Hkum from their village Kaung Kha in Mansi Township, to a camp for displaced persons in Mai Hkaung Village.

On May 25 this year, Labya Naw Hkum left home to work as a day laborer as usual. But he never came back. He was one of three displaced civilians arrested, killed and buried in the jungle by a column of LIB 319 soldiers on their way home.

Six soldiers are thought to be responsible for the killings. Magyi Khon Nang was at LIB 319, at the company's invitation, to attend the trial at a military court for the case.

"I want justice. To recompense for my loss and sorrow, I wish [the soldiers responsible] to be handed life imprisonment," said Magyi Khon Nang as she went red in the face.

Soothing the whimpering baby in her hands the mother of three said: "I was eight months pregnant when her father died. I had difficulties to go to the hospital and had to give birth at my home," she said.

"That day, [my husband] said he would do some casual jobs. I remember that he was wearing a shirt with a 'peace' logo given by the camp, and carrying a bag made from a rice bag given by the World Food Program (WFP). He told the children that he would find money and come back home in the evening," she recounted.

"My three kids don't have anyone to call 'Dad' as their Dad is dead now," she said, wiping away the tears.

Labya Naw Hkum, 27, together with friends Nhkum Gam Aung, 31 and Maram Brang Seng, 22 went to work as day laborers to carry logs at Hkapra Yang, some five miles from the camp in Mai Hkaung Village.

On their way back home, they were killed and buried in the jungle, some four miles from Mai Hkaung Village by a column of LIB 319 soldiers on patrol.

Laphai Nan Ban, mother of Maran Brang Seng, said: "He got the job to carry logs. Sometimes he got 5,000 kyats a day, and sometimes 10,000 kyats. He gave the money to us, which we used on food and healthcare."

WFP has been providing foods to displaced persons' camps in Kachin State for years, but since the end of 2016, it has reduced food rations.

In Mai Hkaung Camp where Laphai Nan Ban and Magyi Khon Nang are sheltering, a person only gets some 10 kilograms of rice, oil and 2,500 kyats (less than US$2) for a whole month, which has forced the men to do casual jobs to cover household expenses.

Maram Roi Ja, wife of Nhkum Gam Aung, said: "He was the only breadwinner in my family. Now I am the one left to support our family. I am very depressed. I can't do anything."

Both Maran Brang Seng and Nhkum Gam Aung are survived by their two-year-old children.

"Witnesses told us that a military column arrested and killed our husbands. Then we looked for their bodies together with community elders. We found them on May 28," said Wahgyi Seng Mai, wife of Maram Brang Seng.

"My son's body was carried on a truck to the cemetery in the evening [after it was uncovered]. I was so sad and I didn't care about the rotten smell or the feeling of nausea. Others were covering their noses with their hands and tried to move away, but I didn't want to," said Maran Brang Seng's mother Laphai Nan Ban.

"I wanted to go near him and hug him but they did not allow me to go near him. I could see him clearly. His face was decomposing and some parts of it were torn apart."

Laphai Nan Ban, mother of Maran Brang Seng. (The Irrawaddy)

Her son was the only breadwinner in her five-member family, and she had no idea what to do to survive, she said.

Camp organizers and community elders then sent the bodies to Mansi Hospital and filed a complaint with Mansi Township police station along with autopsy results.

According to autopsy results, the three had sustained gunshots, knife wounds, skull fractures, and bursting eyes.

On May 30, the Office of the Commander-in-Chief released a statement that an investigation would be carried out into their deaths. The LIB also made an internal investigation.

Six soldiers, including a battalion commander and three captains, have been charged with the murder.

Three captains, a lance corporal and a private are charged with several provisions of the military act equivalent to the charges of murder, aiding and abetting, and ordering murder in the Penal Code.

The commander is charged with murder and making a false report.

The military court heard testimony from camp organizers of Mai Hkaung, the village administrator of Mai Hkaung village and police of Mansi Township before hearing from the soldiers.

LIB 319 on Sept. 15 invited the families of victims, Kachin civil society organizations and reporters to attend the court hearing. The Irrawaddy attended on Sept. 18.

Three colonels were acting as judges at the military court, and the accused soldiers took oath that they would testify the truth.

According to their testimony, they met and arrested La Nan who was carrying illicit drugs and around 4 million kyats with him before they encountered three civilians who they also arrested.

One of the captains later released La Nan for fear that seeing a drug pusher together with their column would give rise to misunderstanding. The private was ordered to guard the three arrested civilians. One of them died due to unintentional discharge, according to the testimony.

La Nan informed the victims' families about their arrest after he was released, otherwise their bodies could not have been retrieved, said Laphai Nan Ban.

"Because of La Nan, we came to know that my son was killed by soldiers. Otherwise, there won't be any evidence and we'd not have known where they were buried," she said.

La Nan did not appear at the court for testimony, however, since no one knows where he lives.

Captains testified that they informed the death of a civilian to the commander by phone, and the commander implied killing all three of them because the area is supposed to be a prohibited area for civilians.

"It is no man's land, no man's land area. Kill all three. If you are clever enough, you can even shift the blame," the commander was quoted as saying by the captains.

The commander instructed them to bury the bodies carefully in order to avoid people discovering them, testified the captains. And the commander also falsely reported to the senior officers that the three were accidentally shot as they attempted to grab the guns.

Family members of Maran Brang Seng. (The Irrawaddy)

The military court heard the case in one day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except for lunch and short breaks. During the lunch break, some soldiers were babysitting the baby girl of Magyi Khon Nang.

A military officer of LIB 319 told The Irrawaddy: "They [soldiers] have got their salaries cut since the trial begun."
This was the first time officials of Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC), which is helping displaced persons in Kachin State, local Kachin civil society organizations (CSOs) and media were allowed to attend a military trial over the deaths of Kachin civilians since renewed clashes broke out in Kachin State over six years ago.

Victims' families and Kachin CSOs, however, doubt if fitting penalties will be imposed on the perpetrators.

"So far we're satisfied with the court hearing. But we'll have to wait and see what the final verdict will be," said La Ja of KBC.

Officials of LIB 319 have reported the testimonies to the upper level, and are waiting for the verdict.

"If soldiers are sentenced to less than one year in prison, they will be kept in a cell at the military camp. If they are sentenced to more than one year, they will be sent to a civilian prison, in this case Bhamo Prison," said a military officer.

Service personnel—either the rank and file or officers—automatically become civilians if they are jailed more than one year, he said.

The widows of the three slain civilians said they feel like their life is now hopeless, having to assume the responsibility to raise their children alone.

"If they are to be punished, they deserve it because they killed our husbands. But, for me and my children, we've lost our whole life. We can get nothing back," said Magyi Khon Nang.

The post Magyi Khon Nang Wants Justice appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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