The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Yangon Govt to Sell 1,200 Affordable Apartments
• Monks Get Jail, Hard Labor for Anti-govt Protest
• Journalists Appear in Court after 15 Days of Interrogation
• Thai Court Extends Deadline for Counter Appeal in Koh Tao Murder Case
• China, Pakistan to Look at Including Afghanistan in $57 Billion Economic Corridor

Yangon Govt to Sell 1,200 Affordable Apartments Posted: 27 Dec 2017 01:34 AM PST YANGON — The Department of Urban and Housing Development under the Ministry of Construction will sell, for the first time since the new government took office, more than 1,200 affordable apartments in Yangon Region under the arrangement of the regional government. "The regional government has formed a team to sell the apartments. The team will include officials from our department as well as other authorities," said director U Yu Khaing of the Yangon branch of the Urban and Housing Development Department. "We'll announce soon when and how we'll sell those apartments," he added. The apartments—categorized as low-cost and reasonably priced structures, respectively—for sale are in Kanaung Housing in Dagon Seikkan Township, Yuzana Garden Housing Phase-1, and Shwe Lin Pan Housing Phases 2 and 3 in Hlaing Tharyar Township, according to director U Yu Khaing. More than 700 low-cost units and about 500 reasonably priced apartments will be up for grabs, he added. "We'll sell the apartments in Shwe Lin Pan Housing Phases 2 and 3 first. There are about 1,000 apartments there. They will be sold according to the plan of the Yangon regional government," he said. The prices of the low-cost apartments start at 9.8 million kyats and prices of apartments at lower and ground levels are a little bit higher, standing between 12 and 12.5 million kyats, according to the Urban and Housing Development Department. Most of the buildings will have four floors with six apartments on each level. The reasonably priced apartments will be more spacious, and the prices will be between 20 and 40 million kyats. A total of 2,208 apartment units are being built in Yangon Region, and the regional government is planning to sell more than 1,200 of them that have been completed so far. Retired civil servants, retirees and the homeless will be favored to purchase the apartments, which can be paid for in installments. Those wishing to buy the apartments have to open a bank account at the Construction and Housing Development Bank (CHDB), and upon saving up to 30 percent of the price of the apartment, buyers can get 10 year loans from the bank to pay the remaining 70 percent in installments, said U Hein Wai Naung, assistant manager of the bank. "They can start living at the apartments after paying 30 percent. They will get ownership after they pay in full," he said. Under the U Thein Sein government, the regional government sold 527 low-cost apartments in Shwe Lin Pan Housing in Hlaing Tharyar Township. Meanwhile, the Construction Ministry is also planning to reduce the savings amount from 30 percent to 20 percent, as well as increase the loan period from 10 to 15 years. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. The post Yangon Govt to Sell 1,200 Affordable Apartments appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Monks Get Jail, Hard Labor for Anti-govt Protest Posted: 27 Dec 2017 01:21 AM PST MANDALAY — A court in Chanmyathazi Township, Mandalay Region, on Wednesday sentenced six nationalist monks to a year and a half in prison with hard labor for taking part in an anti-government protest. The Buddhist monks were all arrested during a police raid on their protest camp in early August and later charged with incitement under Article 505 (b) of the Penal Code. They had been calling on the government to step down for failing to protect national interests. "One year and six months in prison is too harsh. We will submit an appeal to the higher courts," said U Aung Ye Soe, the monks' lawyer. U Kyaw Myo Shwe, a layman also facing an incitement charge for taking part in the same protest, is still on trial and has requested bail for health reasons. He was arrested two days after the monks when he showed up at court for his lawsuit against a Myanmar Now reporter. U Kyaw Myo Shwe's next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 3. There are still arrest warrants out for two monks and four laymen related to the protest. "We are not afraid of the harsh sentence. Down with the NLD government!" the monks yelled before being sent back to Obo Prison — where they will serve their jail terms — after Wednesday's sentencing. More than 50 monks and dozens of other supporters greeted the defendants at the court with flowers and food and panned the government for arresting and suing them. The post Monks Get Jail, Hard Labor for Anti-govt Protest appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Journalists Appear in Court after 15 Days of Interrogation Posted: 27 Dec 2017 12:08 AM PST YANGON — "We have not made a mistake, neither violations of the media law nor ethics. As we have to face this situation, we will face it as best we can," said Ko Wa Lone, a detained Reuters journalist who appeared at the Mingalardon Township court on Wednesday for the first time since his arrest on Dec. 12. Ko Wa Lone and his colleague Ko Kyaw Soe Oo were arrested for allegedly violating the colonial-era Official Secrets Act and questioned at the Aung Tha Pyay police interrogation center in Mayangone Township for 15 days. Ko Wa Lone told reporters that he was "fine" and faced no mistreatment during the detention. Two police officers who were also detained along with the reporters did not appear at the court on Wednesday. The pair saw their family members for the first time since their arrest. Ma Pan Ei Mon, the wife of Ko Wa Lone (aka) Thet Oo Maung, and Ma Nyo Nyo Aye, the sister of Ko Kyaw Soe Oo, were able to talk to their loved ones and followed the pair in a van when they left the court. Ma Nyo Nyo Aye told The Irrawaddy before meeting her brother that her family had been worried but that they didn't know what to do. "I want to see my brother," she said in a soft voice. Ko Kyaw Soe Oo (aka) Moe Aung. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) The pair was taken to Insein prison after about 10 minutes at court, where police extended the remand. They will appear next on Jan. 10. U Than Zaw Aung, the lawyer for the pair, said: "We can only give details after looking at the case file." The pair was charged under Section 3 of the Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years. The lawyer said, “The journalists should not be charged under this act. They were doing their job in accordance with journalistic ethics. Not only do the journalists suffer from such a charge, the public also loses its right to information.” The two Reuters journalists had worked on coverage of a crisis in Rakhine, western Myanmar, where an estimated 655,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled from a fierce military crackdown on militants, following the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army's Aug. 25 attack on security outposts. In solidarity with the detained journalists, the reporters covering their case wore black t-shirts to express their support of them and of press freedom in Myanmar. The post Journalists Appear in Court after 15 Days of Interrogation appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Thai Court Extends Deadline for Counter Appeal in Koh Tao Murder Case Posted: 26 Dec 2017 10:41 PM PST CHIANG MAI, Thailand — Thailand's Supreme Court has approved Thai prosecution lawyers' request to extend their counter appeal deadline by one month in the case of two Burmese migrants who were sentenced to death for the murder of two British backpackers. The defense team—made up of members of the Lawyers Council of Thailand, legal advisers from the Myanmar government, and members of non-governmental organizations advocating for labor rights—submitted a 319-page appeal to Thailand's Supreme Court in August. Since then, Thai prosecution lawyers have asked four separate times to postpone the deadline for them to counter the appeal. The prosecution team is set to submit their argument against the appeal on Jan. 23, said defense lawyer U Aung Myo Thant. "They are not yet ready to make the final plea, and therefore set the date for the 23rd of next month," he told The Irrawaddy. Win Zaw Htun and Zaw Lin—both in their early 20s—were sentenced by the Koh Samui Township Court in December 2015 for charges they have denied, involving the September 2014 deaths of British nationals Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, on Koh Tao island. The Thai police's investigation of the murder has raised questions over the integrity of the prosecution as police failed to test Witheridge’s clothing and were unable to find any DNA, apart from that of the victims, on the alleged murder weapon, a blood-stained hoe. "The two were in good health except that Zaw Lin had a toothache when I visited them some time ago," said U Aung Myo Thant. In March, they lost their first appeal to the District Court, which spanned 198 pages and was submitted in May 2016. The Thai police at first said that the two suspects confessed to killing the British backpackers, but later both defendants testified they were beaten and threatened into making confessions. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. The post Thai Court Extends Deadline for Counter Appeal in Koh Tao Murder Case appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

China, Pakistan to Look at Including Afghanistan in $57 Billion Economic Corridor Posted: 26 Dec 2017 08:30 PM PST BEIJING — China and Pakistan will look at extending their $57 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday, part of China's ambitious Belt and Road plan linking China with Asia, Europe and beyond. China has tried to position itself as a helpful party to promote talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan, both uneasy neighbors ever since Pakistan's independence in 1947. Their ties have been poisoned in recent years by Afghan accusations that Pakistan is supporting Taliban insurgents fighting the US-backed Kabul in order to limit the influence of its old rival, India, in Afghanistan. Pakistan denies that and says it wants to see a peaceful, stable Afghanistan. Speaking after the first trilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of China, Pakistan and Afghanistan, Wang said China hoped the economic corridor could benefit the whole region and act as an impetus for development. Afghanistan has urgent need to develop and improve people's lives and hopes it can join inter-connectivity initiatives, Wang told reporters, as he announced that Pakistan and Afghanistan had agreed to mend their strained relations. "So China and Pakistan are willing to look at with Afghanistan, on the basis of win-win, mutually beneficial principles, using an appropriate means to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan," he added. How that could happen needs the three countries to reach a gradual consensus, tackling easier, smaller projects first, Wang said, without giving details. Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said his country and China were "iron brothers," but did not directly mention the prospect of Afghanistan joining the corridor. "The successful implementation of CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) projects will serve as a model for enhancing connectivity and cooperation through similar projects with neighboring countries, including Afghanistan, Iran and with central and west Asia," he said. India has looked askance at the project as parts of it run through Pakistan-administered Kashmir that India considers its own territory, though Wang said the plan had nothing to do with territorial disputes. China has sought to bring Kabul and Islamabad together partly due to Chinese fears about the spread of Islamist militancy from Pakistan and Afghanistan to the unrest-prone far western Chinese region of Xinjiang. As such, China has pushed for Pakistan and Afghanistan to improve their own ties so they can better tackle the violence in their respective countries, and has also tried to broker peace talks with Afghan Taliban militants, to limited effect. A tentative talks process collapsed in 2015. Wang said China fully supported peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban and would continue to provide "necessary facilitation." The Belt and Road infrastructure drive aims to build a modern-day "Silk Road" connecting China to economies in Southeast and Central Asia by land and the Middle East and Europe by sea. The post China, Pakistan to Look at Including Afghanistan in $57 Billion Economic Corridor appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Fighting in Northeast Picks Up at Year’s End
• KNPP Claims Member Saw Army Execute 4 of His Colleagues Before Escaping
• Additional charges dropped against Turkish TV crew
• Gov’t Newspapers Refuse to Publish Open Letter in Support of Detained Reuters Reporters
• Ten Things to Do in Yangon This Week

Fighting in Northeast Picks Up at Year’s End Posted: 26 Dec 2017 05:04 AM PST YANGON — Reports of deaths and injuries from artillery attacks and landmine blasts in Kachin and Shan states picked up during the past week and included three children. On Christmas Eve, a teacher was injured in the neck and had her jaw and teeth shattered from shelling by the Tatmadaw (Myanmar Army) on Woi Chyai village, near Laiza, the headquarters of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO). Laphai Kai Nan, 29, a volunteer teacher at the Munglai Hkyet camp for internally displaced people (IDP), was hit while walking home from the camp. "She is currently at the Laiza hospital and we heard that she will soon be transferred to the Man Shi hospital in China," said Lamai Mai Mai, an ethnic Kachin activist. KIO spokesman Colonel Naw Bu said the Tatmadaw was shelling near Laiza even though there was no fighting along the frontlines over the weekend. He told The Irrawaddy on Sunday that the attack, which came at about 9 p.m., was timed intentionally for Christmas Eve but said celebrations went ahead regardless. The Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the armed wing of KIO, faced a similar attack in 2012. Those in the IDP camp "were extremely terrified and very anxious throughout the night and packed their belongings to be ready to flee at any moment," according to a Christmas Day statement from the Joint Strategy Team, a group of local civil society groups. The Tatmadaw had also fired a few shells near the camp, which hosts about 6,000 IDPs, on Dec. 14. Fighting between the KIA and Tatmadaw has continued in Bamao, Mansi, Moemauk and Tanai townships in Kachin State and in Namkham, Muse and Mang Ton townships in northern Shan State. But the recent attacks were more akin to "blind firing and planting landmines with no disciplines," said Lamai Mai Mai. "If they had followed the rules of war, we would have fewer civilian fatalities." U Maung Maung Soe, a political and ethnic affairs analyst, said it showed that the government's efforts to build peace and the Tatmadaw's tactics were "not harmonious." The government has said it wanted to see peace in 2017. Instead, the fighting has intensified. The ethnic armed groups of the country's northeast have also acquired more arms and fighters over the year than ever before, according to data by the independent Myanmar Peace Monitor. In November, the joint forces of the KIA, TNLA, AA and MNDAA — the four members of the Northern Alliance at the time — launched an attack near the Muse trading zone and took control of a part of Mongko Township for about a week. The Tatmadaw retaliated with its air force, destroying a church and several homes. "Clashes will not be avoided as long as there is no ceasefire because in Myanmar politics every armed group believes it needs arms to reach its goal, and as long as they cannot change their thinking military engagement is unavoidable. So we have to think of a way to find a solution," said U Maung Maung Soe. Each side has accused the other of attacking civilians. On Dec. 23, a 12-year-old boy died from injuries to his abdomen after artillery shells fell on Maiyu village in Muse, northern Shan State. The artillery fire also injured three others — two men and a 3-year-old boy who lost his right leg. In a Facebook post on Sunday, the Ministry of Home Affairs said an unidentified ethnic armed group launched the artillery attack on an area where the ethnic Shan Lon Htan militia was conducting security operations. It said the group also attacked an area about 5 miles south of Nant Phat Kar village, also in Muse. The office of the commander-in-chief blamed the attacks on the KIA and TNLA. Both groups have denied the accusation. Northern Shan State is home to several armed forces, including the Tatmadaw, TNLA, KIA and local militias. Also on the 23rd, a man was injured by a landmine in Wara Zut village, Hpakant Township, in Kachin State. The Tatmadaw accused the KIA of planting the mine. On Dec. 19, in Shan State, a primary school student died in Mong Paw Township and four others were hospitalized in Muse in landmine blasts the military blamed on the KIA and TNLA. U Maung Maung Soe said the source of the shelling at least should not be a mystery. "Whoever fired the artillery can be found out by a study of the shell fragments, especially in the case of Maiyu in Muse, but the government has not done anything about it," he said. The post Fighting in Northeast Picks Up at Year's End appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

KNPP Claims Member Saw Army Execute 4 of His Colleagues Before Escaping Posted: 26 Dec 2017 04:29 AM PST The Myanmar Army ordered Karenni National Progressive Party members who were detained during a raid on the group's base in Loikaw, Kayah State on Dec. 20 to dress in Army uniforms and line up, saying they were going to be photographed, before executing them, according to a Karenni fighter who said he escaped after realizing he was about to be killed. Maung Lar said he spent two days in the jungle before making it back to his KNPP camp on Dec. 22. "He just ran when [the Army] opened fire on them. Two people tried to run, but only he escaped," said Khu Daniel, a KNPP central committee member. "He has minor injuries to his foot, sustained while he was in the jungle, but he wasn't shot," Khu Daniel said. Three KNPP members and one civilian were detained on Dec. 20 when the Regional Operation Command based in Loikaw raided the Karenni Army base in Loikaw Township, according to the KNPP. They were killed at the base, but Myanmar Army personnel took the bodies back to their base and later burned them, the ethnic group claimed. Khu Daniel said that as a witness to the killings, Maung Lar, 50, will be targeted by the Army, so they are hiding him at an undisclosed location. He said the KNPP would hold a press conference soon to present all the information it has about how the Myanmar Army murdered four of its personnel. The Army has denied the accusation. In a statement, it said the four were killed during a firefight between the two sides. The KNPP has asked the Army to launch an official investigation into the killings, but it has yet to respond. The Army's Regional Operation Command issued a statement saying the incident began when military vehicles transporting supplies to the Army base were stopped by 15 members of the KNPP, who found timber among the supplies. According to a Myanmar Army a statement published in the Kantarawaddy Times, the timber was to be used to build enclosures for pigs kept by Army families. It claimed that the KNPP threatened to burn Army cars if it discovered that the soldiers were transporting illegal timber again. The KNPP also illegally collected taxes from local people, according to the statement. The Army also accused the KNPP of building a base in the area controlled by the Army, in violation of a ceasefire agreement. The United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) issued a statement today saying that the Army's actions would disrupt the peace process and damage trust in the institution. The KNPP signed a ceasefire agreement with the Myanmar government and the military in March 2012, but has not yet inked the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA). The KNPP is a member of the UNFC and is involved in negotiations to sign the NCA. The post KNPP Claims Member Saw Army Execute 4 of His Colleagues Before Escaping appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Additional charges dropped against Turkish TV crew Posted: 26 Dec 2017 02:57 AM PST Naypyitaw—Police have withdrawn additional charges against the journalists who were sentenced to two months in prison for attempting to fly a drone near Myanmar's Parliament in October. Turkish state broadcaster TRT World producer Mok Choy Lin, from Malaysia, freelance camera operator Lau Hon Meng, from Singapore, and two Myanmar citizens — their interpreter Ko Aung Naing Soe and driver U Hla Tin — were detained by the police on Oct. 27 for attempting to fly a drone near Myanmar's Parliament in the administrative capital of Naypyitaw. The local court in Naypyitaw sentenced the four to two months in prison each on Nov.10 under the 1934 colonial-era Myanmar Aircraft Act. The four were also charged under the 2012 Export and Import Law for illegally bringing the drone into the country. The two foreign journalists were further charged with violating Section 13 (1) of the 1947 Immigration Act on Nov. 27, after their visas expired while in custody. At Tuesday's court hearing, these two latter charges were withdrawn by the plaintiffs, police officer Tun Tun Win and immigration Official U Htay Win, which they said was done so that Myanmar could maintain good relations with Malaysia and Singapore and because authorities didn’t find any intent on the part of the accused to harm the country’s security. The court will hold a final hearing on Dec. 28 to announce the official withdrawal of the charges against the four. Their two-month prison terms for violating the Aircraft Act are due to be served by Jan. 9 but they are expected to be released on Jan. 5 as they were given four days of remission, according to the defendants' lawyer U Khin Maung Zaw. Translated from the Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. The post Additional charges dropped against Turkish TV crew appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Gov’t Newspapers Refuse to Publish Open Letter in Support of Detained Reuters Reporters Posted: 26 Dec 2017 02:17 AM PST NAYPYITAW—The agency in charge of publishing advertisements in state-run newspapers have refused to print a statement of support for two detained Reuters journalists written by a group of their Naypyitaw-based colleagues. Twenty-six journalists based in Naypyitaw went to the Information Ministry on Dec. 21 and asked to purchase advertising space in order to publish an open letter in which they expressed solidarity with Ko Wa Lone and Ko Moe Aung, who were detained by police in Yangon on Dec. 12. The unpublished statement calls for a fair trial for the two journalists and insists they were doing their professional duty by supporting the public's right to information. It also urges concerned ministries to explain the situation publicly, and calls for the pair to be released as soon as possible. A few days after the letter was submitted, however, the ministry's advertising department said that it would not publish the statement. "The [state-run newspapers] said the ad would not be allowed for the time being. We asked why, but an official in the department said he was not authorized to speak," said Ko Nyan Hline Lin, chief of Frontier Myanmar's Naypyitaw Bureau. "We cannot allow the open letter to be published for the time being. We ask for your understanding," ministry deputy director U Thet Paing Htoo, who is in charge of the advertising department, told The Irrawaddy. "The ad request was rejected on the authority of the ad department, not the Information Ministry," he said. According to U Thet Paing Htoo, the state-run newspapers' editorial board scrutinizes all advertisements and decided not to run the statement because the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission has already released statements about the two journalists, he said. The two Reuters journalists were arrested for allegedly violating the colonial-era Official Secrets Act by illegally acquiring information about the conflict in northern Rakhine State. They were detained while returning from a dinner to which they had been invited by police in Yangon's Mingalardon Township. Family members have not yet been allowed to see the two. The post Gov't Newspapers Refuse to Publish Open Letter in Support of Detained Reuters Reporters appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Ten Things to Do in Yangon This Week Posted: 26 Dec 2017 01:26 AM PST Iron Cross: New Year Countdown | Dec. 31 Myanmar's most famous rock band will rock the Minder Ground to usher in the New Year. The show will be broadcast live on MRTV. Dec. 31, 9.30 pm. Minder Ground, Dagon Tsp. Free Show. Hninzi Anyeint | Dec. 30 Star actors perform satirical comedy routines. Dec. 30, 7 pm. Royal Garden Hotel. Tickets 30,000 to 100,000 kyats at Taw Win Center, Mann Thiri Recording, Nobody Fashion (Yankin Center). Capital Hypermarket New Year Countdown | Dec. 30 Famous singers including L Lun Wa, Aung Htet and Nin Zi May will perform. Dec. 30, 6 pm-12 pm. Minnandar Road, Dawbon Tsp. Free Show. Human Rights Human Dignity Film Festival | Dec. 30 More than 10 films that have won awards or that have been shortlisted will be screened. Dec. 30, 6 pm-9 pm. Maha Bandoola Park, Sule Road, Kyauktada Tsp. Free Show. Chatrium New Year's Eve Masquerade Party | Dec. 31 Wai La, May Sweet, Phyu Phyu Kyaw Thein, Here & Now Dance Group and Immortal Band will perform. International buffet dinner including wine, beer and soft drinks included. Dec. 31, 7 pm-12 pm. Chatrium Hotel. Tickets $140-160. Limited booking. Charity Circus | Jan. 2-5 Arzarni San San Circus and magicians will perform at this charitable show at Botatung Pagoda Festival. Jan. 2-5. 9 pm-12 pm. Botatung Pagoda. Tickets at 09-73203508 People's Square Night Market | Dec. 29-31 Music, fun, food and a lucky draw will be featured at this event. Dec. 29-31. Myanmar Culture Valley, People's Square. New Year Countdown Party | Dec. 31 Singers Mary and Youn Ni Ko and various DJs will perform. Dec. 31, 7 pm. Vista Bar, No. 168, corner of Yedashae Street and Shwegondain Road, Bahan Tsp. Admission 10,000 kyats. Tickets at 09-73228586 Art Exhibition: Planet of Color | Dec. 31-Jan. 2 Nine painters will showcase their modern paintings at this group exhibit. Dec. 31-Jan. 2, 43 Art Gallery, 43rd Street. Deadly Rhyme | Dec. 29-Jan. 11 Khit Bhone Mo portrays death and the pain of human life, and the truth "beneath the skin of earthlings" to the accompaniment of rhymes in this solo show. Dec. 29-Jan.11, New Zero Art Space, No 202, 2nd Floor, United Condo, Alanpya Pagoda Road, Dagon Tsp. The post Ten Things to Do in Yangon This Week appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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Most Read Stories of 2017 Posted: 22 Dec 2017 09:17 PM PST YANGON — Here is a look back to some of the most-read stories published by The Irrawaddy in 2017. The list includes features, opinion pieces and interviews covering the full range of issues confronting Myanmar, from headline-grabbing political intrigues and diplomatic tensions, to development and business affairs, social and gender issues as well as human interest stories about people, places and the arts. It's been a year that was at different times exhilarating and disheartening, but always fascinating. We trust you found the journey as engaging as we did covering it. FEATURES Daw Khin Khin Win signs her autograph for her memoir. (Photo: Pyay Kyaw / The Irrawaddy) Housekeeper Recalls Swimmer who Surprised Suu Kyi's House Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's caretaker recalls her time with the democracy icon when she was under house arrest, including the strange visit by the American John Yettaw. Burma's 200-Mile Shopping Trip A tribe from the foothills of the Himalayas treks nearly two weeks across Kachin State to buy and sell foodstuffs in the Putao market. Taxi Driver U Nay Win, A True Citizen 'I'll impress upon my children the spirit of their father—to be helpful to anyone and to be good citizens,' said Ma Su Thet Khaing, U Nay Win's widow. COMMENTARY Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at peace talks with youth in Naypyidaw on Jan. 1, 2017. (Photo: Htet Naing Zaw / The Irrawaddy) Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's Trend of Silence Daw Aung San Suu Kyi remains noticeably silent on human rights issues lately, causing people to question her allegiance to the people. Who Killed U Ko Ni? If powerful figures were involved in the killing, the mastermind behind the lawyer's murder may never be brought to justice. The Reality in Rakhine and Myanmar's Complex Political Conundrum If the internatioal community wants to see a stable Myanmar, it needs to help the government halt the violence in Rakhine and implement Kofi Annan's recommendations. Britain is Still Being Beastly to its Former Colony Myanmar The misdemeanor of Britain's foreign secretary is just the tip of the iceberg of bullying of Myanmar by its ex-colonizer.

The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Lawyer Says Suspect’s Wealth Could Prove Key in Ko Ni Murder Trial
• KNPP Says 4 of Its Troops ‘Executed’ While in Army Detention
• Nationalist Monk Again Denied Bail for 2016 US Embassy Protest
• Government Should Allow UN Special Rapporteur to Enter Country
• Lawmaker to File Complaint Against Myanmar Army for Obstructing Public Consultations
• Army to Take Charge of Reopening Mandalay Park
• KIA Objects to Use of Vacant IDP Lands
• US Sanctions Myanmar General, Others for Abuses, Corruption

Lawyer Says Suspect’s Wealth Could Prove Key in Ko Ni Murder Trial Posted: 22 Dec 2017 05:05 AM PST YANGON — An attorney representing the family of slain lawyer U Ko Ni suggested on Friday that the wealth of one of the murder suspects could prove a vital clue in finding the source of the money that financed the assassination. It has been nearly a year since the prominent Muslim lawyer and NLD legal adviser was shot dead by gunman Kyi Lin outside Yangon International Airport on the afternoon of Jan. 29. Police have detained four suspects — Kyi Lin and alleged co-conspirators Zeya Phyo, Aung Win Zaw and Aung Win Tun. They have been on trial for approximately nine months. Police allege that suspect and former Lieutenant Colonel Aung Win Khaing, who is still at large, was the mastermind of the assassination. They told the Yangon court in June that they had no new leads on his whereabouts. During Friday's hearing at the Yangon North District Court, businessman Tin Tun Aung testified about his relationship with the suspect Zeya Phyo. He said the two have known each other since before he formed his company in 2005. According to the website of Tin Tun Aung's Shogun Co., Ltd., the company is partnered with the Zeya Phyo Group, owned by Zeya Phyo. He told the court that he had borrowed 120 million kyats ($88,000) from Zeya Phyo and returned it in 2016. He also testified that Zeya Phyo used to help his friends whenever they were in financial difficulty. Citing the financial relationship between the two, one of the lawyers representing U Ko Ni's family, U Nay La, said the testimony suggested that Zeya Phyo was wealthy, a possibly vital clue in finding out how U Ko Ni's assassination was paid for. "This trial is all about investigating why Kyi Lin was hired, why there was money involved, and what source all that money came from," U Nay La said. Also at Friday's hearing an IT expert with the national police force's Criminal Investigation Department testified about text messages that had been sent between the suspects. The court has now finished examining 69 of the 80 scheduled witnesses. Three of the suspects in custody are charged with murder under Article 302 of the Penal Code. Aung Win Tun is charged with harboring a criminal under Article 212. Zeya Phyo, a former military intelligence officer, is also charged under Article 67 of the Telecommunications Law with possession of restricted telecommunications equipment and under Article 468 of the Penal Code for forgery of national identity cards. In addition, two of the suspects, Kyi Lin and Aung Win Zaw, are charged under Article 19 (d) and (f) of the Arms Act for possession and transportation of illegal arms. The post Lawyer Says Suspect's Wealth Could Prove Key in Ko Ni Murder Trial appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

KNPP Says 4 of Its Troops ‘Executed’ While in Army Detention Posted: 22 Dec 2017 04:44 AM PST Four soldiers belonging to the armed wing of the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) were allegedly executed at a Myanmar Army base in Loikaw Township on Dec. 20 after being detained during an army raid on their camp, according to a leader of the ethnic party. "They were detained first, then executed," said Khu Daniel, a central committee member of the KNPP, adding that a civilian who was seized along with the soldiers was also missing. A local newspaper reported that the army had confirmed the deaths, although the Tatmadaw claimed the fatalities occurred during a gunfight. Khu Daniel said the four soldiers had been manning a checkpoint in the Shadaw area on Dec. 19, when at about 5 p.m. they stopped a convoy of 10 Myanmar Army vehicles on its way back from transporting rations to their battalion. The Karenni Army soldiers found illegal timber hidden in the vehicles, but they did not make an issue of the illicit cargo and let the convoy pass. At 9 p.m. that evening, Myanmar Army troops from the Regional Operations Command based in Loikaw raided the KNPP base, Khu Daniel said. "When they raided our base, our troops did not fire at them. They did not do anything," he said. The Kantarawaddy Times, a Loikaw-based newspaper, reported on its website that a KNPP delegation had visited the army base were the executions were alleged to have taken place, but did not see any signs of fighting. Residents in the neighborhood told the newspaper that they also did not hear any gunfire on the night of Dec. 19, before the soldiers were reportedly killed at 8 a.m. on the following day. However, according to the newspaper, the Regional Operation Command told the KNPP delegation that the four soldiers were killed during a gunfight at the Loikaw base, and that the army had cremated their remains. It said the commander handed over four small bottles containing the ashes of the dead solders. "The Tatmadaw, the chief minister, and the KNPP are still holding negotiations over the case," Col Myint Wai from the Myanmar Army and Border Affairs Ministry in Karenni State was quoted as saying by the Kantarawaddy Times. He added that troop movements on the ground in the state were normal. When asked how the KNPP would respond to the alleged killings, Khu Daniel said the incident would become a political issue, adding that his party's leaders needed to discuss what to do next. The KNPP signed a ceasefire agreement with the Myanmar government and the military in March 2012, but they have not yet inked the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA). The KNPP is a member of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) and is involved in negotiations to sign the NCA. "Everyone feels sad about this. It should not happen like this. If they were killed while fighting on the battlefield, let's say that is okay. But it was not fair to arrest them and then kill them," Khu Daniel said. Maj-Gen Aye Lwin, deputy director of the Psychological Warfare and Public Relations Department at the Ministry of Defense, told The Irrawaddy he had not received any information from senior army officers about the alleged killings and had no comment to make about them. The post KNPP Says 4 of Its Troops 'Executed' While in Army Detention appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Nationalist Monk Again Denied Bail for 2016 US Embassy Protest Posted: 22 Dec 2017 02:21 AM PST YANGON — Yangon's Kamayut Township court again denied bail for nationalist monk U Parmaukkha for the charge of Section 505 (b) of Myanmar's Penal Code on Friday. U Parmaukkha served a one-month prison term on Nov. 21 for violating the Peaceful Assembly Act for staging an unauthorized protest in front of the US embassy last year. The judge rejected the request for the bail, although the defendant's lawyer requested bail given that the monk was an elder and he had completed his prison term this week. Violations of Section 505 (b), which covers offenses that are "likely to cause fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of the public, whereby any person may be induced to commit an offense against the State or against the public tranquility" are punishable by a maximum of two years in prison, a fine, or both. The township court will hear the testimonies of three of six witnesses from the plaintiff's side in regards to the 505 (b) charge next Thursday, Dec. 28. U Parmaukkha told the public before and after the court hearing "there was nothing in my words that could be charged under 505 [b]." He said the court continued the trial based on the signature of plaintiff U Than Tun Aung, which he alleges was forged. The judge rejected a request to dismiss the case on Friday. Daw Khin Mar Oo, the sister of the abbot, told The Irrawaddy that her brother should be released, as he is a good man. "They [the authorities] still will not release him although he is innocent." In August last year, Yangon authorities granted permission to a nationalist group to hold a protest at the Bo Sein Hman grounds, but they rallied in front of the US Embassy instead and staged a protest over the embassy's use of the term 'Rohingya.' U Parmaukkha was one of three Buddhist monks who were charged alongside four nationalists in August last year under Section 505 (b) of the Penal Code and Section 19 of the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law. Four nationalists – Win Ko Ko Latt, Naung Taw Lay, Thet Myo Oo and Nay Win Aung – were arrested a few weeks after the protest and sentenced to seven-month prison terms for both charges by the same court on September 28 this year. U Parmaukkha was detained on Nov. 12 when he went to North Dagon police station to seek permission to stage a protest over the alleged confiscation and sale of a land plot by the Yangon municipality to a third party. The monk came to prominence as a supporter of pro-democracy activists under the military regime. Since 2013, however, he has increasingly been identified with nationalist groups, including the former Ma Ba Tha. The post Nationalist Monk Again Denied Bail for 2016 US Embassy Protest appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Government Should Allow UN Special Rapporteur to Enter Country Posted: 21 Dec 2017 11:57 PM PST Many Myanmar journalists are saying privately that the political situation in the country is sliding back to the way things were under military rule. Some believe the government should open the door to Yanghee Lee, the UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, and even allow the establishment of an international inquiry into rights abuses as a first step to solving the conflict in Rakhine. On the other hand, social media, news outlets based in Rakhine State, the Arakan National Party and other Arakanese groups have welcomed the government's decision to ban Lee, in particular its insistence that it could not accept her entering the country without the consent of the Arakanese people. There are those who say the UN should replace Lee with a new special rapporteur, one who is less biased, in order to help solve the problems in the country. Lee, they say, views the issue from the Rohingya point of view, and is more interested in bringing criminal proceedings at the UN than in trying to solve the country's problems. On Thursday, the state-run media did not even report on Lee's being denied entry to Myanmar. When human rights abuses occurred in Rakhine, Kachin, and northern Shan, Lee discussed them at the UN without causing controversy. She traveled to these areas whenever she visited Myanmar in the past. Who will monitor the rights situation if she is barred from entering the country? This will be an important question if Myanmar shuts the door on her. "Speaking generally, it is not a good idea to bar the special envoy on human rights from coming into the country, because they can protect people from rights abuses," said U Pe Than, an ethnic Arakanese ANP lawmaker in the Lower House of Parliament from the constituency of Myabon. "But if we look at the yearly reports she has made to the UN after visiting our country, she has presented only one side. Arakanese people and the government have many problems when it comes to the Bengali [a term used by many in the country to refer to the Rohingya as interlopers from Bangladesh], but she did not listen to them," he said. U Pe Than believed the decision to block Lee's entry into the country was made to protect the country's sovereignty and image. In interviews with the BBC, Lee has acknowledged that the government and the Myanmar Army are unhappy with her reports, which they say have been biased and unfair since July. According to Yu Lwin Aung, a spokesperson for the Myanmar Human Rights Commission, the UN should consider finding a replacement for Lee who would be more appropriate to report on the situation in the country. "We welcome anyone who acts in a positive way. It is difficult to accept someone who tries to make problems for our country," he said. "I do not see our human rights condition suffering if she is not in our country." Lee Has Her Supporters Here U Zay Yar Hlaing, editor of Maw Kun (Archive) magazine, said: "I do not support the idea of blocking her from trying to get information inside the country. It is not right to block someone just because we don't like what she said. The government should give her some level of access to information. If she provides faulty information at the UN, the government should be able to produce the evidence to point it out." He said the government needs to have a better relationship with the international community, and to be more adept at public relations. The government needs a better mechanism for pointing out anything she says that is wrong, he said. If the government slams the door in the face of the UN Human Rights Council and its mandate to dispatch special rapporteurs, it is essentially saying it doesn't care about political prisoners including journalists, or about workers' rights, the rights of farmers or the right to health care and education; it is not just an issue of the rights of religious minorities. David Mathieson, an independent analyst working on conflict and peace issues, said Professor Lee is a respected academic who cares deeply for the people of Myanmar, and had tried hard to address a range of complex human rights issues, especially the ongoing conflicts and abuses in Kachin and northern Shan, when the rest of the world seem fixated on the Rohingya. She is not an official of the UN, she is an independent expert and the government should value her work as an independent auditor of the human rights issues facing the transition, Mathieson said. Instead they have treated her in a shabby, dismissive and insulting fashion, he said. The post Government Should Allow UN Special Rapporteur to Enter Country appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Lawmaker to File Complaint Against Myanmar Army for Obstructing Public Consultations Posted: 21 Dec 2017 11:24 PM PST YANGON — Nan Kham Aye, a lawmaker representing the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) in the Lower House, said she would file a complaint with Parliament about the Myanmar Army's obstruction of public consultations organized by the Committee for Shan State Unity (CSSU) prior to the Union Peace Conference. "I've decided to raise the issue at Parliament when it resumes," she told The Irrawaddy. The national-level political dialogue is a mandatory step of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) in which regional stakeholders express their suggestions and recommendations at large-scale public consultations, which are then shared by representatives at the Union Peace Conference, also called the 21st Century Panglong. According to the NCA, signatories can hold national-level dialogues (NDs) based on three themes: region, theme and ethnicity. So far, NDs have been held in areas of six of the eight NCA signatories, but not yet in Shan and Rakhine states. A meeting of the Joint Implementation Coordination Meeting on the NCA in November between the government, Tatmadaw and armed ethnic groups agreed that the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) would take charge in holding the dialogue in Shan State. Prior to the ND, the CSSU has been holding pre-public consultations so that the RCSS could bring the voices and concerns of locals forward to the third session of 21st Century Panglong, which is slated to be held in January. Formed in 2013, the CSSU is a coalition of Shan political parties, civil society organizations and two armed groups—the RCSS and the Shan State Progressive Party. The CSSU formed five separate teams last week in Taunggyi to conduct consultations across 20 townships in southern, northern and eastern Shan State and in the Shan communities outside of Shan State in Mandalay, Kachin and Karenni states. Each group started discussions on Dec. 17. According to organizers, the Myanmar Army stopped gatherings in Panglong, Tachilek, and Lashio townships. Lt-Co Sai Oo, who is in charge of the RCSS Taunggyi Liaison Office, expressed disappointment, saying that those discussions were held with the permission of the Shan State government. "We talked with the state government and it offered to provide any help necessary," said Lt-Co Sai Oo, lamenting the lack of cooperation between the government and the military. "We've instructed general administration departments [GADs] in the state to help in order to hold public consultations without disturbing stability and security," Shan State minister for planning and economy U Soe Nynt Lwin told The Irrawaddy. "The military said that it hadn't received the letter [from the Shan State government]. But the district GAD said that it had informed the commander," said lawmaker Nan Kham Aye. President's Office spokesman U Zaw Htay told The Irrawaddy in November that NDs still could not be held in Rakhine State because of "security concerns." The post Lawmaker to File Complaint Against Myanmar Army for Obstructing Public Consultations appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Army to Take Charge of Reopening Mandalay Park Posted: 21 Dec 2017 11:00 PM PST MANDALAY — Army authorities in Mandalay are planning to reopen Mann Thida Park by the northern wall of Mandalay Palace some time next year, according to the city mayor. Mayor Ye Lwin's plans to reestablish the park had been stalled for about a year while waiting for approval and a budget from the Union government. On Wednesday the mayor wrote on his Facebook page that the local army unit would carry out the project on its own early next year. But details of the project, including cost and how long the work will take, have not been shared. Local army officials could not be reached for comment. The army built Mann Thida Park, which ran approximately 200 feet along Mandalay Palace's north wall, in 1959. It featured an open field and children's playground. Visitors could take to the moat around the palace on small boats and take in the water fountains. But the army closed it down in 1996 claiming security concerns. Locals had mixed feelings about the park's pending return. While some welcomed the news, others said the money could be better spent elsewhere. "Since the park is being planned by the palace wall, they need to think about the impact on the heritage and about the pollution of the water in the moat," said Aung Naing, a local trader. "There are many other things that need to be done in Mandalay instead of wasting money on building a park there, such as maintaining the city's sewers and drains," he added. Others welcomed the prospect of having a new green space in the city to enjoy, but were wary of placing it by the palace. "Many green spaces of the past have been wiped out because of development, so Mandalay really needs a green space like Mann Thida Park," said historian Hsu Nget. "However, whoever runs the project needs to pay special attention to its impact on the environment, heritage and pollution. The responsible authorities also need to keep in mind that visitors should be able to visit the place for free," he added. In its past iteration the park was free of charge. It had a small administration office and only a few vendors were allowed to set up stalls. The post Army to Take Charge of Reopening Mandalay Park appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

KIA Objects to Use of Vacant IDP Lands Posted: 21 Dec 2017 10:39 PM PST YANGON — The Kachin Independence Army's Brigade No. 3 based in Mai Ja Yang stated its objection to individuals and company's applying to use some 9,000 acres of vacant land in Kachin State's Mansi Township for agriculture on Thursday. These lands belong to internally displaced persons who fled their homes after renewed fighting broke out between the KIA, the armed wing of the Kachin Independence Organization, and the Tatmadaw (Myanmar Army) in June 2011. Clashes are still ongoing near Mansi, and IDPs from the area are sheltering at churches and other buildings in Mai Hkawng village and at a Baptist church in Mansi town. In a response to the Mansi Township agricultural land management and statistics department's call for any objection to the applications, the KIA's Mai Ja Yang branch released its response letter. It warned that individuals and companies should cease these plans or face the consequences. The KIO also warned last month that lands belonging to IDPs should not be confiscated or misused. KIO spokesman Col Naw Bu said the KIO headquarters issued its warning last month in response to reports that the government and the Tatmadaw had been leasing IDP lands to private companies. "We could not accept that," he said. Despite a lack of specifics about the types of crops people hoped to grow on these lands, some people have already planted rubbers trees and bananas, according to a development worker and lawmaker from Kachin State. U Min Min, a state lawmaker representing Mansi constituency, told The Irrawaddy that continuous fighting in and near Mansi makes it impossible for IDPs to return home and for lawmakers to return to the villages to assess the situation. "We have not been able to go to those villages yet, although it has been my plan to go and listen to local people's concerns. NLD members in the villages told me to hold off my travel plans," he said. Lawmaker U Min Min added, "Only after we hear the villagers' concerns can we discuss this with the local agricultural land management and statistics department. The officers told me that they have to give permission if there are any applications, as the lands are not in the forest reserve and are vacant land." He said that the villagers would not want companies or the government to use their lands. In Mansi alone there are some 20,000 acres that people are trying to obtain licenses to use, and far more in the whole of Kachin State. IDPs' lands are being taken by others in Myitkyina's Tah Law Gyi village, Waingmaw and Momauk towns, either by Tatmadaw soldiers or border guard forces, said the secretary of the Kachin Development Network Group. The Kachin State government can decide whether to allow the lands requests for applicants who seek use of 50 acres or less. Permission is needed from the Union government for those who want to use more than 50 acres. "As the state members of parliament and state government are more aware of regional affairs, the Union government should allow the state to reflect on the real situation on the ground and decide, instead of giving permission simply by looking at maps," said U Min Min. The post KIA Objects to Use of Vacant IDP Lands appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

US Sanctions Myanmar General, Others for Abuses, Corruption Posted: 21 Dec 2017 10:29 PM PST WASHINGTON — The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on 13 "serious human rights abusers and corrupt actors" including Myanmar General Maung Maung Soe, who oversaw this year's brutal crackdown against the Rohingya Muslim minority. The US government, applying penalties for the first time under a law passed last year, also targeted 39 other individuals and entities with sanctions that block their assets under US jurisdiction, bar most Americans from dealing with them and largely cut them off from the global financial system. The Treasury Department said those sanctioned included Benjamin Bol Mel, who has served as an adviser to South Sudan President Salva Kiir and is suspected of getting preferential treatment in government contracts. The list also included former Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh, accused of human rights abuses and corruption, and Israeli billionaire Dan Gertler, accused of using his friendship with Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila to secure sweetheart mining deals. Myanmar's government spokesman was not immediately available for comment on the US sanctions. Reuters has been unable to reach Jammeh for comment since he went to exile. He has previously denied ordering the torture or death of political opponents. His lawyer until exile, Edward Gomez, said earlier this year that he was unaware of any misspending of public or charity funds by Jammeh. Gertler has denied all allegations of impropriety and has said his investments in Congo have created thousands of jobs. A spokesman for his Amsterdam-based company the Fleurette Group was not immediately available for comment. Myanmar's military cracked down on Muslim Rohingya from Rakhine State following Aug. 25 Rohingya militant attacks on an army base and police posts. Gen Maung Maung Soe was in charge of the operation that drove more than 650,000 Rohingya to flee mostly Buddhist Myanmar to Bangladesh. The United States on Nov. 22 called the Myanmar military operation against the Rohingya population "ethnic cleansing" and threatened targeted sanctions against those responsible. The United States "examined credible evidence of Maung Maung Soe's activities, including allegations against Burmese security forces of extrajudicial killings, sexual violence and arbitrary arrest as well as the widespread burning of villages," the Treasury Department said on Thursday. Myanmar's army last month released a report denying all allegations of rape and killings by security forces, having days earlier replaced Gen Maung Maung Soe. No reason was given for his transfer from the post. 'Significant Consequences' "We must lead by example, and today's announcement of sanctions demonstrates the United States will continue to pursue tangible and significant consequences for those who commit serious human rights abuse and engage in corruption," US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement. The sanctions against the 13 people described by the Treasury Department as "serious human rights abusers and corrupt actors" and the 39 "affiliated individuals and entities" were the first imposed under a US law called the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. Jammeh, who ruled Gambia for 22 years before being forced into exile after refusing to accept an election defeat, created a terror and assassination squad reporting to him called the Junglers that threatened, terrorized, interrogated and killed people he saw as a threat to his rule, the Treasury Department said. The sanctions targeted Gertler, considered by diplomats to be a member of Kabila's innermost circle, 19 of his businesses and his Congo-based associate Pieter Deboutte. The United States imposed sanctions this year and last against top Democratic Republic of Congo security officials over alleged human rights abuses and the failure to organize an election on time to choose Kabila's successor. For details on the US action, see the Treasury Department statement (here) and for a full list see the department’s website (here). The post US Sanctions Myanmar General, Others for Abuses, Corruption appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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• International Reaction to Arrest of Reuters Reporters in Myanmar
• Authorities Urged to Let Detained Reporters See Lawyers, Family
• Military Team to Investigate Involvement in Mass Grave in Rakhine State
• Myanma Economic Bank to Provide SME loans in 2018
• Foreign Correspondents Forced to Jump More Hoops to Get Visas

International Reaction to Arrest of Reuters Reporters in Myanmar Posted: 21 Dec 2017 03:35 AM PST Several countries, the United Nations and journalist groups are demanding the release of Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo from detention in Myanmar. The reporters were arrested on Dec. 12 after being invited to meet police officials on the outskirts of Yangon. They had worked on stories about a military crackdown in Rakhine State, scene of around 650,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing to Bangladesh since August. Myanmar’s Ministry of Information has said the reporters "illegally acquired information with the intention to share it with foreign media," and released a photo of them in handcuffs. It said the reporters and two policemen faced charges under the British colonial-era Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years, though officials said they have not been charged. Their exact whereabouts are not known. "We and their families continue to be denied access to them or to the most basic information about their well-being and whereabouts," Reuters President and Editor-In-Chief Stephen J. Adler said in a statement calling for their immediate release. "Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are journalists who perform a crucial role in shedding light on news of global interest, and they are innocent of any wrongdoing," he said. Here are comments on their detention from governments, politicians, human rights groups and press freedom advocates around the world: Latest Reaction – Germany said on Wednesday it would push Myanmar to release the journalists. "We see press freedom as a cornerstone of a democratic order," the German foreign ministry said. – Astrid Sehl, a spokeswoman for Norway's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on Wednesday in response a question, "Norway expects the Myanmar authorities to ensure the full protection of their rights and to release the journalists as quickly as possible." – UN special rapporteur for freedom of expression David Kaye said on Wednesday, "Journalists have the right to cover information and they shouldn't be arrested for coming into possession of information." – Human Rights Watch said the detentions appeared to be "aimed at stopping independent reporting of the ethnic cleansing campaign against the Rohingya." Brad Adams, the group's Asia director, said, "Their secret, incommunicado detention lays bare government efforts to silence media reporting on critical issues." – In Washington, the leading Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee called for their immediate release. "This is outrageous," said Senator Ben Cardin. "It just brings back the memory of the horrible practices with the repressive military rule." Governments, Multilateral Organizations – US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said last week the United States was "demanding their immediate release or information as to the circumstances around their disappearance." On Tuesday, the State Department reiterated the US demand for the reporters' immediate release. – Republican Thom Tillis and Democrat Chris Coons, leaders of the US Senate Human Rights Caucus, said they were "gravely concerned" about the reporters' arrests and that press freedom was critical to ensuring accountability for violence against the Rohingya. Democratic congressman Ted Lieu, a member of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, called the arrests "outrageous and a direct attack on press freedom." – Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kano said in response to a question from a Reuters reporter on Tuesday, "Freedom of the press is extremely important, including in order to protect fundamental human rights. The Japanese government would like to watch [this matter] closely." Tokyo-based Human Rights Now called on Japan on Wednesday to take a stronger stance. – The European Union urged Myanmar on Monday to release the reporters "as quickly as possible." A spokeswoman for EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini said, "Freedom of the press and media is the foundation and a cornerstone of any democracy." – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said countries should do everything possible to secure the journalists' release and press freedom in Myanmar. "It is clearly a concern in relation to the erosion of press freedom in the country," he said. – Britain, Holland, Canada and Sweden have demanded the release of the Reuters reporters. Australia has expressed concern and Bangladesh has denounced the arrests. – Vijay Nambiar, former special adviser on Myanmar to the UN Secretary-General, said in a statement to Reuters on Monday that the detentions had caused "widespread disappointment within and outside the country that is likely to further damage the international reputation and image of Myanmar, already under stress as a result of its handling of the Rakhine crisis." – President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani called on Myanmar to protect media freedoms and release the reporters. Journalists, NGOs – The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) called on Myanmar to immediately disclose the reporters' whereabouts. "All detainees must be allowed prompt access to a lawyer and to family members," Frederick Rawski, ICJ's Asia-Pacific Regional Director, said on Monday. – The Committee to Protect Journalists said the arrests were "having a grave impact on the ability of journalists to cover a story of vital global importance." – Reporters Without Borders said there was no justification for the arrests and the charges being considered against the journalists were "completely spurious." – Advocacy group Fortify Rights demanded Myanmar immediately and unconditionally release the Reuters journalists. – Myanmar's Irrawaddy online news site called on Dec. 14 for the journalists' release in an editorial headlined "The Crackdown on the Media Must Stop." It said "it is an outrage to see the Ministry of Information release a police record photo of reporters handcuffed – as police normally do to criminals – on its website soon after the detention. It is chilling to see that MOI has suddenly brought us back to the olden days of a repressive regime." – The Southeast Asian Press Alliance said the journalists were "only doing their jobs in trying to fill the void of information on the Rohingya conflict." – The Protection Committee for Myanmar Journalists, local reporters who have demonstrated against prosecutions of journalists, decried the "unfair arrests that affect media freedom." – The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Myanmar said it was "appalled" by the arrests and "gravely concerned" about press freedom in Myanmar. – The Foreign Correspondents' Club in Thailand, Foreign Correspondents' Association of the Philippines, Jakarta Foreign Correspondents' Club and Foreign Correspondents' Club of Hong Kong have issued statements supporting the journalists. The post International Reaction to Arrest of Reuters Reporters in Myanmar appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Authorities Urged to Let Detained Reporters See Lawyers, Family Posted: 21 Dec 2017 03:27 AM PST YANGON — The Myanmar National Human Rights Commission (MNHRC) on Thursday urged authorities to grant two detained Reuters journalists access to lawyers, family members and health care. The two journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, were arrested in Yangon on Dec. 12 allegedly for possessing police reports containing detailed information about the fighting between government troops and the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army in late August. Authorities have not disclosed where they are being held. According to a police report last week, the two are accused of violating Article 3 of the colonial-era Official Secrets Act, which allows for prison sentences of up to 14 years. Two border guard policemen who allegedly provided the documents to the reporters are accused of violating both the Official Secrets Act and the Myanmar Police Force Maintenance of Discipline Law. "The MNHRC has learned according to a complaint that family members of the two reporters are unable to meet with them while the location of the place the pair is being detained is not disclosed and they have no access to lawyers to defend them against the accusations," the commission said in a statement. The MNHRC urged authorities not to torture the reporters during their detention and ensure that they be allowed to exercise their full rights, including accessing lawyers and contacting family members. When The Irrawaddy asked if the commission would contact the Ministry of Home Affairs to find out more about the case, commissioner U Yu Lwin Aung said that issuing statements like today's was the most "effective" tool the MNHRC had to let everyone concerned know about its position. "The statement will reach all parties concerned — the Ministry of Home Affairs, the President's Office, the judiciary, media and the public," he said, insisting that the commission's call would not be ignored. U Yu Lwin Aung predicted that there would be some developments in the case in a few days because of the statement. He said the arrests were made in line with the law, but stressed that the reporters should be granted the rights they deserve according to human rights norms. The Myanmar Press Council said on Wednesday that it would like to mediate in the case, offering to provide the reporters with legal assistance and serve as an expert witness should the case go to trial and if the court allows it. According to a Reuters reported on Wednesday, President's Office spokesman U Zaw Htay said police had nearly completed their investigation of the two journalists and that their case would head to court soon afterward. In 2017, 11 journalists were arrested by the police or military  for defamation or under various laws including the Telecommunications Law, the Official Secrets Act and the Unlawful Associations Act. The post Authorities Urged to Let Detained Reporters See Lawyers, Family appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Military Team to Investigate Involvement in Mass Grave in Rakhine State Posted: 21 Dec 2017 03:19 AM PST YANGON — The Myanmar military said that its own investigation team will find out whether security forces were involved in the case of unidentifiable corpses unearthed in Inn Din village, southern Maungdaw Township, Rakhine State. On Tuesday, the military reported on its Facebook page that security members found the mass grave at Inn Din cemetery while investigating an anonymous tip. According to local authorities, 10 heads and skeletons were unearthed at the burial site. The military stated in its announcement on Tuesday that deterrent action in accord with the law would be taken against any security member found to be connected with the case. Followed that announcement, the military stated on Wednesday that its five-member investigation team led by inspector Lt-Gen Aye Win left Inn Din village cemetery where the corpses were found. A team comprising the township judge, police inspector of Inn Din police station, township medical officer, assistant surgeon and led by deputy commissioner of Maungdaw District's General Administration Department U Ye Htut were carrying out an investigation in order to study the bodies and expose the truth, the army stated. On Nov. 13, the military's investigation team denied atrocities and use of excessive force against Rohingya Muslims during clearance operations that sent more than 620,000 fleeing to Bangladesh, in its report on findings after about a month internal investigation regarding any misconduct by government forces in Rakhine State. The international community has condemned the army for arbitrary killing, rape, torture and the torching of Rohingya homes during the counter operations in northern Rakhine State in response to Muslim militant attacks on 30 police outposts in the area. The post Military Team to Investigate Involvement in Mass Grave in Rakhine State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Myanma Economic Bank to Provide SME loans in 2018 Posted: 21 Dec 2017 02:38 AM PST MANDALAY — Myanma Economic Bank will provide some 700 billion kyats (US$520 million) in loans to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across the country next year. Under the arrangement of the Ministry of Planning and Finance, the loans will be provided at a 9 percent interest rate with a maximum repayment period of three years, according to the Mandalay Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MRCCI). "The interest rate is lower, and the ministry said that certain types of loans will be offered without collateral, and the procedures will be simpler. So, most of the businesspeople here are interested in it," U Win Htay, chairman of the Mandalay Region SMEs Committee under the MRCCI, told The Irrawaddy. Currently, local SMEs in Mandalay Region only have access to credit guarantee insurance (CGI) loans provided by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and private banks, respectively at 13 and 16 percent interest rates. Local businesspeople lamented that those loans are not very helpful, as they are short-term loans with small loan amounts that carry high interest rates. Union Planning and Finance Minister U Kyaw Win in a meeting with the MRCCI on Monday in Mandalay said that Myanma Economic Bank would start disbursing loans in January for SMEs. "The minister said SME loans will be increased in different sectors, and that his ministry would also review the legal procedures of private banks to provide SME loans," said MRCCI chairman U Aung Than. Among the challenges facing many SMEs in Mandalay Region are exorbitant land prices and a wide variety of taxes such as income tax, commercial tax, profit tax and so on, said industrialist U Nay Win from the Mandalay Industrial Zone. Other pressing challenges include financial needs and technology as local SMEs have to compete with imports that are cheaper and better quality. According to the Ministry of Planning and Finance, there are about 40,000 registered SMEs in the country. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. The post Myanma Economic Bank to Provide SME loans in 2018 appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Foreign Correspondents Forced to Jump More Hoops to Get Visas Posted: 20 Dec 2017 10:08 PM PST YANGON — Some foreign journalists have left Myanmar and others are preparing to depart after the government tightened visa regulations following critical coverage of the military's handling of the unrest in Rakhine State. Several foreign journalists told The Irrawaddy that the visa application process was now much more onerous and even required them to sign a declaration promising not to travel to restricted areas. Some foreign reporters said they had to wait as long as four weeks to get a new visa to re-enter the country after making a trip abroad. U Win Kyaing, permanent secretary of the Ministry for Immigration and Population, told The Irrawaddy that the changes were part of a wide- ranging overhaul of visa regulations that began last year. "For the case of the journalist visa, they are required to get a recommendation letter from the MOI [Ministry of Information]. For other visas, that is not necessary," he said. However, there appeared to be some confusion among government officials about the new rules with a representative of the Ministry of Information saying his office was no longer providing recommendation letters to foreign journalists. U Myo Myint Maung, permanent secretary for the Ministry of Information, told The Irrawaddy that before his agency could sign off on journalist visas, it had to secure approval from the ministries of immigration and labor, Immigration and Population. "In fact, the visa application regulations are not our ministry's business. It is the business of the Immigration Ministry and the Labor Ministry," he said. In the past, the MOI had provided recommendation letters to media workers applying for visas, but U Myo Myint Maung said journalists could now apply directly to an embassy in a foreign country for a 28-day visa. "We relaxed the restriction on visa applications; they no longer require a recommendation letter," he said. However, U Thit Sar Hla Htwe, the secretary of the Foreign Correspondents Club of Myanmar, said that as for journalists stationed in Myanmar who were seeking a long-term three- or six-month visa, they still needed the MOI to issue a recommendation letter, which also needed to be approved by both the Immigration Ministry and the MOFA. He said that the 28-day visas were only for media representatives who did not have an office in Myanmar. "Let's say they came from Bangkok. The government used to give them a three-month visa and it was multiple entry. They could travel in and out of the country on this visa. "But, the government is no longer giving them three-month multiple entry visas. They now get only 28 days and it is single entry. Reporters have to apply for a new visa if they want to get back in the country," he said. "Many foreign journalists have complained a lot about it," U Thit Sar Hla Htwe said, adding that a German reporter had called him just on Tuesday and recounted the problems he was having getting a new visa. The MOI even told the reporter that a green registration card from the Myanmar Foreign Correspondents Club was needed before a visa would be issued. While the MOI claimed that new regulations were issued in December last year, U Thit Sar Hla Htwe said that the new rules only started to be applied in October this year when two journalists from Turkish outlet TRT World were detained in Naypyitaw for trying to fly a drone over Parliament. Myanmar had previously tightened up on journalist visas in 2014 when violence broke out in Thu Chee Yar Tan, in Maungdaw. But, the former government later relaxed the procedures. The post Foreign Correspondents Forced to Jump More Hoops to Get Visas appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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