The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• KNU Still Wants Talks with Military to Settle Standoff After Meeting Postponed
• Free Music Festival Aims to Raise Awareness of Illegal Wildlife Trade
• Rights Groups Slam Jailing of Ex-Child Soldier for Telling His Story
• Farmland Rented Out by Previous Governments Under Investigation
• Huge Haul of Smuggled Teak Seized in Southern Rakhine
• Air Force Jet Crashes in Bago, Kills Pilot
• Judge and Lawyer Arrested by Anti-Corruption Commission
• Malaysia Outlaws ‘Fake News,’ Sets Jail of Up to Six Years
• Philippines Starts Vote Recount in Marcos Son’s Contest for Vice Presidency
• Cambodian Farmers Sue Thai Sugar Group Mitr Phol Over Alleged Land Grab
• UNHCR Concerned Over Safety of 56 Rohingya Refugees in Stormy Seas
• Ten Things to Do in Yangon This Week

KNU Still Wants Talks with Military to Settle Standoff After Meeting Postponed Posted: 03 Apr 2018 08:12 AM PDT CHIANG MAI, Thailand — The Karen National Union (KNU) said it will keep trying to negotiate with the Myanmar military, or Tatmadaw, to end a recent standoff after the Tatmadaw postponed a scheduled meeting last week. The KNU sent its military affairs negotiation team to the meeting, which was recommended by the Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Committee (JMC), but pulled it back after the Tatmadaw refused to attend, said KNU General Secretary Padoh Saw Tadoh Moo. He said the Tatmadaw called it off because the commander of the KNU's Brigade 5, stationed in the area of the standoff, had not been invited. In a statement released on Monday, the KNU said the commander was not a member of its negotiation team and that a Brigade 5 major who had been sent to the meeting was. The negotiation team was formed in 2016 to deal with military disputes but has yet to have any formal talks with the Tatmadaw, Padoh Saw Tadoh Moo said. The seven-member team is led by Brigadier General Saw Eh Kulu Thein of the KNU’s Brigade 3. He who is also vice chairman of the Bago Regional JMC. The latest fighting began in early March when the Tatmadaw moved into an area of Karen State claimed by Brigade 5 to rebuild an old road. Some 2,000 ethnic Karen have fled the fighting. The KNU has asked the Tatmadaw to withdraw so that they can return home, and Karen community elders wrote to State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for help last week. "The standoff goes on, but both sides are trying to keep their troops from further engagement," Padoh Saw Tadoh Moo said. "It is important that both sides' military delegations discuss the issue," he added. On the JMC’s Facebook page, Major General Myat Kyaw, commander of the Tatmadaw’s Southern Command and chair of the Bago Region JMC, was quoted on Saturday as saying that the standoff was “just a misunderstanding because the Tatmadaw is rebuilding the road started in 2008 for administrative purposes only, not for military operations, and there was no deployment on the hills along the road." The KNU says it cannot allow the roadwork and that the Tatmadaw should only enter the area with prior permission. “It should not be continued while the KNU and the government are at the stage of building trust,” said Padoh Saw Tadoh Moo. The Tatmadaw usually says that all disputes with ethnic armed groups should be settled by the JMC. The KNU says the JMC lacks the authority to make the necessary decisions because it is mandated only to monitor and verify ceasefires. The post KNU Still Wants Talks with Military to Settle Standoff After Meeting Postponed appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Free Music Festival Aims to Raise Awareness of Illegal Wildlife Trade Posted: 03 Apr 2018 05:53 AM PDT The "Voices for Wildlife" music festival will be held on April 7 in Yangon's Mahabandoola Park with the aim of supporting efforts to stamp out illegal wildlife sales across the country. Organized by the Voices for Momos organization with the support of the Danish Embassy, the music festival is the first ever held specifically to raise public awareness of the illegal wildlife trade and to urge the government, at both the Union and regional levels, to take steps to end illegal wildlife sales. "Through the concert, we hope to put the spotlight on one of the biggest global challenges faced not only by Myanmar but many countries — the illegal wildlife trade," Danish Ambassador Peter Lysholt Hansen said at a press conference at Pansuriya Café on Tuesday. "Ending wildlife trafficking is a responsibility of all of us, and while these sales continue in Myanmar, its wildlife remains in peril," the ambassador said. "We congratulate the government of Myanmar on steps already taken to protect wildlife, and we urge the government to also develop a solid framework to end this trade." Local entertainers including Bunny Phyo, Chuu Sit Han, Kyaw Thiha, Irene Zin Mar Myint, Naw Naw, Pann Yaung Chel, Wyne Lay, Zaw Pyae, Charlie, and The Peacists will perform at the concert. The event is open to the public free of charge and will run from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Lin Htet, a composer known for creating pieces that use both traditional and Western instruments, will serve as the festival's music director. The concert is the crowning event in the five-month public campaign "Voices for Momos," which was launched in November 2017. Through a series of public events, "Voices for Momos" has raised public awareness of the dangers facing Myanmar's wild elephants, which are on the brink of extinction due to poaching for their hides and other parts. Yangon Region Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein and his wife Daw Khin Mi Mi Kywe will attend the event. "The support for this campaign has been overwhelming with voices from all sectors speaking out to protect elephants and all wildlife here in Myanmar and around the planet. We are very grateful for the support of these entertainers who have volunteered their time and talent. If you haven't already signed up to take part, then do and be part of history in the making," said Christy Williams, country director of World Wild Fund for Nature Myanmar. "Voices for Momos" was launched to stem the crisis of elephant poaching and skinning in Myanmar. It aims to encourage individuals and organizations across all sectors to use their voice to call for the end of illegal wildlife sales in Myanmar, according to organizers. The post Free Music Festival Aims to Raise Awareness of Illegal Wildlife Trade appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Rights Groups Slam Jailing of Ex-Child Soldier for Telling His Story Posted: 03 Apr 2018 05:41 AM PDT More than 150 rights groups have asked the government and the Myanmar Army (or Tatmadaw) to release a former child soldier who was last month sentenced to two years in prison with hard labor for discussing with the media his forced recruitment into the army and subsequent history of legal problems. The rights groups issued a statement saying that Aung Ko Htwe, now 26, was only exercising his rights and did nothing wrong when he related to the media his experiences as a child soldier and his later problems with the law. In 2005, at the age of 14, Aung Ko Htwe was abducted at Yangon's central railway station and forcibly recruited into the Tatmadaw, according to his family. Two years later, he escaped with two others. In the process of escaping, they killed the owner of a motorbike while stealing it. One of the three reportedly strangled the victim, though Aung Ko Htwe later said he was not involved in the killing. The trio was charged with murder and found guilty; all received death sentences, though Aung Ko Htwe was just 16 at the time. In 2013, his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. Aung Ko Htwe was eventually released in July 2017 after serving 10 years in jail. Shortly after his release, he gave an interview to Radio Free Asia (RFA) describing his experiences. The army charged him under Article 505 (b), a section of Myanmar's criminal code related to incitement. He was eventually sentenced to two years in prison. "We rights groups condemn the decision to sentence him to prison. The punishment violates his rights," the organizations said in a statement issued on April 1. Going further, the groups asked the government and the army to release him unconditionally and drop additional charges that he is facing. Police added an extra charge under Section 7 of a 2010 law that prohibits destruction of the Union seal. The offense is punishable by three years in prison. Aung Myo Min, the director of Equality Myanmar, one of the 154 right groups that signed the statement demanding Aung Ko Htwe's release, said: "He has done nothing wrong, but they [the government] used the law to punish him." Myanmar ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1991. Despite having agreed not use underage soldiers, however, the Tatmadaw recruited Aung Ko Htwe. "The government must learn from Aung Ko Htwe's experiences in order to prevent this from happening again. The government needs to find a solution, and cooperate with Aung Ko Htwe. This would be the best way to have a really strong law," U Aung Myo Min said. U Aung Myo Min said, "Our country has some laws that are used to punish citizens. These laws are used selectively. [Authorities] act like cats, using their claws when they need to hunt for prey, but retracting them when they don't need them." Genuine rule of law is about protecting the rights of citizens, but in Myanmar, the laws are not used to protect citizens, according to the right groups. Following the RFA interview, Aung Ko Htwe was sentenced to six months' jail for contempt of court. He refused to appear in court following this, but police forced him to appear. The court finally sentenced him to two years' imprisonment last month. The police later brought additional charges for which he faces additional sentencing in future. The rights groups criticized the lack of rule of law in the country, as increasing numbers of people are sent to prison on contempt charges after criticizing the courts. "The government first needs to consider whether the critics' arguments are valid or not. The critics point out incorrect rulings by the courts. If the courts do not reform, rule of law will not be upheld, and the people will not respect the courts anymore," U Aung Myo Min said. The post Rights Groups Slam Jailing of Ex-Child Soldier for Telling His Story appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Farmland Rented Out by Previous Governments Under Investigation Posted: 03 Apr 2018 03:46 AM PDT NAYPYITAW — Authorities in Naypyitaw will investigate to find out whether some 30,000 acres of confiscated land leased to agri-businesses by previous governments are being used as intended. The Naypyitaw Council formed two vacant, fallow and virgin lands inspection teams on March 6, said lawmaker and team member U Maung Maung Swe, adding that authorities will seize any inactive land and use it for other purposes, including farming. Each group has six members and includes a lawmaker and officials from the Agriculture and General Administration departments, and will start work before Myanmar's New Year festival. "We will start inspection in Ottarathiri District before Thingyan, and then Dekkhinathiri District. We have rough data about which areas are inactive," said U Maung Maung Swe. The two teams will then have to present their survey reports and photos to the Naypyitaw Union Territory Vacant, Fallow and Virgin Lands Management Central Committee. The committee can seize land that remains inactive four years after a permit was issued, the lawmaker said. As of 2005, thousands of acres of land were confiscated to establish agricultural zones including mango and castor oil plantations in Naypyitaw. Land in those zones was then leased to private businesspeople for farming. According to existing laws governing land use in Myanmar, fallow, vacant and virgin land can be leased for up to 30 years for agricultural purposes. Some businesspeople, however, did not do any farming and their land has remained inactive for years. Some of that land might have been confiscated from farmers, said Lower House lawmaker U Than Soe Aung, of Naypyitaw’s Pyinmana Township. The previous government of U Thein Sein issued permits for about 8,000 acres of land to grow mangos just months before the National League for Democracy (NLD) took office in early 2016. The original owners continue to complain that their land was grabbed, said Lower House lawmaker U Thant Zin Htun, of Naypyitaw’s Dekkhinathiri Township. "When nothing is done on that land, it is a loss not only for the country but also for the farmers and locals whose land was confiscated," he said. "I had eight acres of land confiscated in 2010. I just want to get that land back because nothing has been done with it. And  I don't need compensation either," said U Than Tun Aung, a farmer in Dekkhinathiri. The Naypyitaw Union Territory Vacant, Fallow and Virgin Lands Management Central Committee plans to complete the inspection before the eighth regular session of Parliament resumes, said U Maung Maung Swe. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. The post Farmland Rented Out by Previous Governments Under Investigation appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Huge Haul of Smuggled Teak Seized in Southern Rakhine Posted: 03 Apr 2018 03:37 AM PDT YANGON — More than 30 tons of smuggled teak were seized in the village of Kaing Shae near Taungup Township in southern Rakhine State on Monday, according to a local forestry official. Sawn teak and teak logs were found in the compound of a concrete mixing facility owned by Aung Myin Thit Co near Kaing Shae village, Taungup Township Forestry Department official U Lwin Ko Oo told The Irrawaddy. "I am sure it is smuggled teak; otherwise it would have the mark of Myanma Timber Enterprise," he said. The Forestry Department opened a smuggling case under Article 42 of the Forestry Law, he said. Taungup Township Administrator Hla Moe Oo confirmed the teak haul at the compound of Aung Myin Thit Co, adding that authorities are still investigating the ownership of the company, though one of the owners was reportedly identified as U Win Zaw. Aung Myin Thit Co built a paved road in Taungup last month. According to U Lwin Ko Oo, the company is not a sole proprietorship, but a partnership, and authorities are still trying to determine the identities of the other partners. A security guard was present on the company's compound at the time of the raid, but he had not been working for the company for long and did not own the teak, U Lwin Ko Oo told The Irrawaddy. The large teak logs were not likely to be from the Rakhine Mountains, said U Lwin Ko Oo, because "there are no more teak trees with trunks that are 12 inches in diameter in the Rakhine Mountains." He said the logs might have been smuggled in from Magwe Region via the Padaung-Ann route. Some media sources in Taungup suggested the teak logs had been stockpiled for sale in local markets or to be smuggled into foreign countries. Teak and other timber is often smuggled into Malaysia and Thailand via Thandwe, Gwa, Taungup and Ma-Ei townships in northern Rakhine State, they said. Myanmar banned the export of timber logs in 2014, and the National League for Democracy (NLD)-led government has restricted logging since 2016 in a bid to curb deforestation. The ban has forced Myanma Timber Enterprise to rely on existing stockpiles of timber to meet domestic and international demand. Whenever demand exceeds supply, smugglers arise to fill the gap. Illegal logging has long been a persistent problem in Myanmar. Last year, U Lwin Ko Oo reported the seizure of around 30 tons of smuggled hardwood stockpiled in rivers and creeks in Thandwe and Ann townships. The latest seizure was likely intended to be supplied to the domestic market rather than for illegal export, he suggested. "If they want to smuggle those logs by water, they would store them in creeks, and not on land," he said. The post Huge Haul of Smuggled Teak Seized in Southern Rakhine appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Air Force Jet Crashes in Bago, Kills Pilot Posted: 03 Apr 2018 02:37 AM PDT YANGON — A Myanmar Air Force jet crashed on Tuesday near a village in Taungoo town, Bago Region, killing the pilot. The Myanmar military's Office of the Commander-in-Chief announced that an F-7 from Taungoo airbase went down due to mechanical failure while on a training mission. The search and rescue team from the airbase found the wreckage near Kyun Kone and Myauk Yay Kyi villages. The pilot Major Arkar Win succumbed to his injuries despite treatment at a military hospital in Taungoo, said the announcement. In June of last year, a Chinese made Y-200 F military transport plane crashed into the Andaman Sea in the southwest of Tanintharyi Region's Dawei due to bad weather and killed all 122 people – military staff members and their families including 15 children – on board. The crash was listed as the worst accident in Myanmar Air Force history. A military helicopter crashed in central Myanmar, killing three military personnel on board in June 2016. Five military personnel were killed in February 2016 after an air force aircraft crashed in the country's capital, Naypyitaw, according to media reports. The post Air Force Jet Crashes in Bago, Kills Pilot appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Judge and Lawyer Arrested by Anti-Corruption Commission Posted: 03 Apr 2018 02:03 AM PDT SITTWE, Rakhine State — Police have opened a case against a judge and a lawyer in Rakhine State's Thandwe Township. Thandwe Township police arrested lawyer Daw Khin Cho Win on Sunday, said police lieutenant of the Thandwe police station Kyaw Myo Htike. "The Anti-Corruption Commission arrested her and we assisted the arrest," police lieutenant Kyaw Myo Htike told The Irrawaddy. The Anti-Corruption Commission said in a statement on Sunday evening that it opened a case against U Oo Thein Tun, who previously served as the judge of Thandwe Township and is now serving as the Kyaikto Township judge, and lawyer Daw Khin Cho Win. According to the statement, the commission received complaints accusing U Oo Thein Tun, while serving as the judge of Thandwe Township in 2016, of receiving more than 16.2 million kyats of bribes in two lawsuits as well as manipulating evidence. The commission launched an investigation and found that the judge did receive 6.2 million kyats from a plaintiff in a lawsuit, and that he also misused his power to manipulate evidence. The commission also found that lawyer Daw Khin Cho Win bribed the judge with more than 4.7 million kyats, which she asked her client to pay, in the same case. The commission has opened a case against the two under the 2013 Anti-Corruption Law. "We only arrested the lawyer. U Oo Thein Tun is no longer in Thandwe. He is the judge of Kyaikto Township now. The Anti-Corruption Commission will arrest him and they will both be investigated by the commission," said police lieutenant Kyaw Myo Htike. Daw Khin Cho Win is now detained in Thandwe Prison on remand. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. The post Judge and Lawyer Arrested by Anti-Corruption Commission appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Malaysia Outlaws ‘Fake News,’ Sets Jail of Up to Six Years Posted: 02 Apr 2018 10:51 PM PDT KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia on Monday approved a law against “fake news” that would allow for prison of up to six years for offenders, shrugging off critics who say it was aimed at curbing dissent and free speech ahead of a general election. Prime Minister Najib Razak’s government secured a simple majority in parliament to pass the Anti-Fake News 2018 bill, which sets out fines of up to 500,000 ringgit ($123,000) and a maximum six years in jail. The first draft of the bill had proposed jail of up to 10 years. The government said the law would not impinge on freedom of speech and cases under it would be handled through an independent court process. “This law aims to protect the public from the spread of fake news, while allowing freedom of speech as provided for under the Constitution,” Law Minister Azalina Othman Said told Parliament. The law defines fake news as "news, information, data and reports which is or are wholly or partly false" and includes features, visuals and audio recordings. It covers digital publications and social media and will apply to offenders who maliciously spread “fake news” inside and outside Malaysia, including foreigners, if Malaysia or a Malaysian citizen were affected. Co-opted by US President Donald Trump, the term “fake news” has quickly become part of the standard repertoire of leaders in authoritarian countries to describe media reports and organizations critical of them. The UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, David Kaye, had earlier on Monday urged the government not to rush the legislation through Parliament. “I urge the government to reconsider the bill and open it up to regular and genuine public scrutiny before taking any further steps,” David Kaye said in a Twitter post. Others Consider Laws Other countries in Southeast Asia, including Singapore and the Philippines, are considering how to tackle “fake news,” but human rights activists fear that laws against it could be used to stifle free speech. Malaysia is among the first few countries to introduce a law against it. Germany approved a plan last year to fine social media networks if they fail to remove hateful postings. Malaysia already has an arsenal of laws, including a colonial-era Sedition Act, that have been used to clamp down on unfavorable news and social media posts. News reports and social media posts on a multi-billion dollar scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) have hounded Prime Minister Najib, who faces arguably his toughest contest in a general election this year that could be called in days. Najib has denied any wrongdoing in connection with losses at the fund. A deputy minister was quoted in media last month as saying any news on 1MDB not verified by the government was “fake.” Lim Kit Siang, a senior opposition lawmaker with the Democratic Action Party, described the bill as a “Save Najib from 1MDB Scandal Bill” which would criminalize news on the affair. The post Malaysia Outlaws ‘Fake News,’ Sets Jail of Up to Six Years appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Philippines Starts Vote Recount in Marcos Son’s Contest for Vice Presidency Posted: 02 Apr 2018 10:48 PM PDT MANILA — The Philippines on Monday began a manual recount of votes in a vice presidential election after the son and namesake of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos contested the outcome, while the incumbent assured supporters her win was not in doubt. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., a former senator popularly known as Bongbong, is furious about having lost to Leni Robredo by about 260,000 votes in a May 2016 election he says was marred by massive cheating. Many political commentators believe Marcos has ambitions to become president one day, and wanted to use the vice presidency as a steppingstone. Opinion polls had shown him the clear leader ahead of the vote, which is separate from that for the presidency. The recount, ordered by the Supreme Court, began with Marcos questioning the condition of some ballots from the town of Bato in Robredo’s home province of Camarines Sur. “In four precincts in the town of Bato, all ballots are wet and thus useless,” he told reporters. Alluding to foul play, he added that the ballots seemed to be “only recently wet.” Audit logs for most of the precincts were missing, he said, and he had seen a ballot box with a hole sealed with a masking tape. “We have nothing to fear because the truth is what we are fighting for,” Robredo, a one-term congresswoman before the 2016 election, said in a speech after a mass service organized by her supporters in the largely Roman Catholic country. Robredo, who hails from a decades-old political clique that opposes Duterte and helped oust Marcos in 1986, had lodged a counter protest, questioning results in about 8,000 voting precincts. Although he was not his running mate, Marcos is on good terms with President Rodrigo Duterte, who has made numerous concessions to the Marcos family. He has constantly praised the leadership of the late dictator, fuelling concern among some Filipinos that he might cling on to power. Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law in 1972 and held power for 14 years until his removal in a bloodless, military-backed “People Power” uprising. The post Philippines Starts Vote Recount in Marcos Son’s Contest for Vice Presidency appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Cambodian Farmers Sue Thai Sugar Group Mitr Phol Over Alleged Land Grab Posted: 02 Apr 2018 08:51 PM PDT PHNOM PENH — Farmers from Cambodia have filed a lawsuit in a Thai civil court against Asia’s largest sugar producer, accusing it of rights abuses after it allegedly kicked farmers off their land, a rights group said on Monday. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of 3,000 people, is the first class-action lawsuit filed in a Thai court by plaintiffs from another country against a Thai company operating outside Thailand, the group, Inclusive Development International, said in a statement. The plaintiffs accuse sugar producer Mitr Phol of violently displacing them in Cambodia’s northwestern Oddar Meanchey province between 2008 and 2009 to make way for plantations. “Since Mitr Phol took my land, my family and I have suffered tremendously,” Ma Okchoeurn, one of the affected people, said in a press release issued by the rights group. “My house was burned down. I was arrested without reason, and as a result my family had nothing to eat and had to collect trash to survive. To this day, I have no land or house.” Mitr Phol said in a statement emailed to Reuters it had invested in Cambodia in “a good faith partnership” with the government and got temporary concessions in compliance with all local and national laws and with assurances from authorities that "all temporary concession areas had been processed legally and transparently." It said it had withdrawn from the project in 2014 due to a combination of factors including political tensions along the Thai-Cambodia border, business risks, adverse agricultural conditions and negative publicity. Mitr Phol said after it withdrew from the project, it had recommended that the Cambodian government return land "to the affected communities." Seng Loth, a spokesman at Land Management Ministry, which was responsible for the government’s involvement in the project, said when contacted by Reuters he was in a meeting and too busy to comment. Government spokesman Phay Siphan said he could not comment and referred queries to the Land Management Ministry. Cambodia has awarded big concessions to foreign companies, mainly from China, Vietnam and South Korea, to operate mines, power plants and farms, in order to attract foreign investment. Rights groups have said some concessions have led to forced evictions and land disputes. The post Cambodian Farmers Sue Thai Sugar Group Mitr Phol Over Alleged Land Grab appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

UNHCR Concerned Over Safety of 56 Rohingya Refugees in Stormy Seas Posted: 02 Apr 2018 08:44 PM PDT DHAKA — The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Monday it was concerned about the safety of 56 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar on a boat bound for Malaysia in stormy seas. Some 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fled from their homes in Myanmar’s Rakhine State into Bangladesh after militant attacks in August sparked a military crackdown that the United Nations and Western countries have said constitutes ethnic cleansing. Myanmar rejects that saying its forces have been waging a legitimate campaign against “terrorists” who attacked government forces. The boat, which a UNHCR spokesman said was believed to have set sail from Rakhine State last week, stopped at an island in southern Thailand on Saturday evening after a storm. It was the first Rohingya vessel, plying a route refugees have used for years to get to Southeast Asia, to be spotted off Thailand in more than a year. There are signs that overcrowding in Bangladeshi camps could prompt many others to make similarly perilous voyages. “Given the poor weather conditions currently prevailing in the waters off the west coast of the Thailand-Malaysia border, we are concerned for the safety of the refugees," said Caroline Gluck, a UNHCR spokeswoman based in southeast Bangladesh. “If they are found to be in distress, we hope they will be rescued and allowed to disembark in accordance with international maritime law," she said in an email. The boat was restocked with essential supplies in Thailand on Sunday before setting back out to sea, on its way to Malaysia, Thai police said. The UNHCR said it was in touch with Malaysian maritime authorities and was ready to provide any necessary assistance to the refugees when they arrived. Tens of thousands of Rohingya fled by sea following an outbreak of sectarian violence in Rakhine State in 2012, some falling prey to human traffickers. That exodus peaked in 2015, when an estimated 25,000 people fled across the Andaman Sea for Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Rights groups expect another surge in Rohingya boats sailing for Southeast Asia, even if not at the levels of the past. The post UNHCR Concerned Over Safety of 56 Rohingya Refugees in Stormy Seas appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Ten Things to Do in Yangon This Week Posted: 02 Apr 2018 08:38 PM PDT Lethwei Fight | April 8 Boxers from Myanmar, Thailand, China and elsewhere will face off in the ring, with the main event between Myanmar's Soe Lin Oo and Thailand's Payak Samui. April 8, 2 p.m. Theinbyu Stadium. Ticket information here   Ni Ni Khin Zaw: Retro REDVolution Show 2018 | April 7-8 Ni Ni Khin Zaw will perform jazz, pop, soul and swing with dance classics. April 7-8, 7 p.m. National Theater, Myoma Kyaung Street, Tickets 30,000-150,000 kyats. Tel: 09-977009157, 09-4555 73442   Cartoon Festival | April 2-8 Rare cartoon books will bring your childhood memories back, especially for those born in the 1970s and 1980s. Through April 8, Yangon Book Plaza, 5th Floor, Thanzay Market, Lanmadaw. Zumba in Bubbles and Colors Thingyan | April 7 There will be dozens of singers, traditional dances, water throwing and other entertainment programs. April 7, 2 p.m. Minder Ground. Free entry.   Clean Yangon Campaign | April 8 Everyone can join this campaign to keep Yangon clean. April 8, 4 p.m. Pazundaung Garden. Register at 09-420021003, 09-420026477 and 09-798892006   Voices for Wildlife Music Festival | April 7 Myanmar's most celebrated singers and DJs will lead this event to raise awareness about elephant poaching and the illegal wildlife trade in Myanmar. April 7, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Mahabandoola Park, Free entry.   Shan Thingyan in Yangon | April 7 Shan people living in Yangon will come together to hold their first Thingyan celebration in the capital. April 7, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Kandawgyi Hmawsinkyun   Myanma Plaza Thingyan Festival | April 5-8 Lucky draws, discount coupons, gifts, entertainment and more at Myanma Plaza. April 5-8, evenings. Myanma Plaza.   Yangon Zay: Thingyan Edition | April 8 Organic fruits will be on sale with entertainment and kid activities. April 8, 10 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. The Tea Factory, Kanyeiktha Street, Kaba Aye Pagoda Road.   Cross Over Vol. 4-5 | April 4-8 This is a group art exhibition of Japanese artists. April 4-8, New Treasure Art Gallery, No. 84A, Thanlwin Street, Golden Valley, Bahan Tsp. The post Ten Things to Do in Yangon This Week appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Construction Project Strikes Fear Into Residents Living Below Old Reservoir
• China Warns Northern Alliance Against Cooperating with ARSA
• State Counselor Emphasizes Need for ‘Collective Strength’ in Speech to Nation
• For India, Security Trumps Human Rights Concerns When it Comes to Myanmar
• New Border Bases Rising on Top of Razed Rohingya Villages
• One Man Dies, Another Missing in Irrawaddy Bridge Collapse
• French Fine Dining Combined With Local Ingredients
• Anti-Corruption Commissions Receives 1,700 Complaints in 3 Months
• Development Co to Build New City West of Yangon River 
• 2 Letpadaung Locals Released on Bail After Confrontation with Police
• China and Vietnam Call for Maritime Disputes to be Settled
• Violence Erupts in Kashmir After Security Forces Kill Militants: Police
• Rohingya Refugee Boat Restocks After Storm in Southern Thailand

Construction Project Strikes Fear Into Residents Living Below Old Reservoir Posted: 02 Apr 2018 06:08 AM PDT YANGON—Living next door to a high-rise development project that poses a potential threat to the neighborhood can set one's stress levels on high. Just ask U Than Lwin. "If it happens, we will not have time to run for our lives," the retired chemical engineer said, referring to the possibility of an unintended mass release of water from a 92-year old underground storage reservoir lying a few kilometers from his residence in Kokkine Avenue in Bahan Township. What if the construction project being jointly developed by local contractor Zaykabar Company and China State Construction Engineering Corporation Ltd (CSCEC) — which is now in its beginning phase — damages the old water storage structure? Residents of this well-to-do neighborhood are worried that if the worst comes to the worst, their low-lying area and the nearby Golden Valley Quarter will be submerged if the service reservoir, situated on higher ground while holding up to 20-million gallons of water, collapses. "We will not be the only ones affected, most of Yangon will suffer too. That's why we are against the project," said another Kokkine resident, U Win Bo, referring to the possible damage that could be caused by a burst reservoir as well as by water shortages, because the underground concrete tank distributes water to several townships. The entrance of the Myayeik Nyo Project. (Photo: Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy) Built in 1926, the Kokkine Service Reservoir on the corner of the Kaba Aye Pagoda and Pearl Road is designed to store water pumped up from the Gyo Phyu Reservoir on the outskirts of the town before it is distributed to downtown areas. It is the biggest (559 feet x 286 feet x 20 feet) and second-oldest underground concrete water tank in Yangon, after the Shwedagon Service Reservoir, which was built in 1894. Both are still functioning. According to the Yangon City Development Committee, a municipal body, the two storage reservoirs distribute water to 16 townships downtown. The YCDC water supply diagram shows that the Kokkine reservoir feeds water to the Shwedagon reservoir, meaning that any damage to the former water storage facility would cause water shortages to nearly one million people (based on the 2014 Census.) as well as Yangon General Hospital, a major public medical center in Lammadaw Township. "I wonder if the authorities took this issue into consideration before they approved the project," said U Win Bo. The Myayeik Nyo project in late March. (Photo: Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy) No Objections but Not Permitted Yet The Myayeik Nyo high-rise project causing Kokkine residents to feel insecure is named after the now-defunct Myayeik Nyo Hotel, which was run by Myanmar tycoon U Khin Shwe, chairman of the project developer, Zaykabar Co., Ltd, one of Myanmar's largest construction companies. His daughter is married to the son of U Shwe Mann, the third most influential person in the former military regime but now an important ally of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Union Minister for Religious Affairs and Culture U Aung Ko ( left) and U Khin Shwe (right) at a Buddhist religious event in Mon State on March 24. (Photo: Zaykabar Company / Facebook) Twelve buildings with heights ranging from 382 feet to 412 feet and a three-story structure will be built on the hotel compound owned by the military, according to a correspondence between the company and Yangon Regional Government and viewed by The Irrawaddy. At the corner of the plot lies the Kokkine Service Reservoir. Located on the second highest point in Yangon with an elevation of around 160 feet after the hill where the Shwedagon Pagoda sits, Myayeik Nyo compound was known for its lush green vegetation. According to the Yangon Heritage Trust, the area was known as 'Mount Pleasant' during the British colonial days. Many mansions belonging to high officials, including the Mayor's Mansion and the Mayor's Guest House, which are now listed as heritage buildings, and the residence of the manager of Chartered Bank were located there. In June last year, the government told the company that it had “no objection" to the developer's request to start the project "as soon as possible." In early February this year, site clearing got underway in the compound and the dense vegetation that covered the area is now mostly gone. It was unknown if the two heritage-listed buildings have been torn down.  The Irrawaddy witnessed some parts of the hill being bulldozed up to the outer retaining wall of the reservoir. At one point during the clearing process, to the residents' fear was realized as the wall was damaged and water oozed out on to the ground. A damaged part of the reservoir retaining wall has been mended with cement in late March. (Photo: Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy) "At the time, we were really scared. We didn't know what would happen next," U Win Bo said. When residents complained to the company, they replied that it was just "spilled water" from a nearby water tank. But the tank they were referring to is high on the unbulldozed part of the hill, he said. Frustrated by the company's response, the residents of Kokkine Avenue formed a seven-member "Yangon Kokkine Reservoir Salvation Team" in early March to lobby for the protection of the reservoir for the sake of Yangon's people and the structural integrity of the reservoir itself. U Win Bo raised public awareness about their campaign on Facebook.  Shortly after the formation of the team, the YCDC suspended the project until the developer came up with a proper solution to ensure the reservoir would not be damaged. Site clearing underway in Febrauary. (Photo: YKRST) But the order apparently fell on deaf ears. The company did test piling on March 24 afternoon, provoking more angry complaints from residents that halted the piling process. "They were trying to trick us. The government's 'no objection' doesn't mean they are allowed to start construction," said U Win Bo. According to Daw Hlaing Maw Oo, the secretary of the YCDC— the municipal body grants final construction permission to anyone who wants to build something in the town area but only after a thorough review of the building designs and other aspects of the project— the developer is only allowed to do site clearing, not building. "They haven't got building permission yet," she said. U Sun Oo, the chairman of the Association of Myanmar Architects said the project needs a proper environmental impact assessment because it's being implemented in a green belt area and due to its proximity to the reservoir. Despite repeated attempts by The Irrawaddy's, U Khin Shwe was not available for comment. Immediate Concerns While their top concern is the reservoir bursting, the Kokkine Avenue and nearby residents are now also worried about the potential for a landslide in the project area once the rainy season arrives, which normally happens in May. In the past, thick green trees covered the project area, protecting the hill from erosion and landslides. But with the removal of the vegetation, the nearby low-lying residential area is now prone to mudslides and floods. Comparison between two Google Earth pictures of the Myayeik Nyo Project. The one on the left was taken on Nov 30, 2017 while the one on the right is from Feb 7, 2018. "Given the current situation at the site, there could be a possible landslide and mud will enter the residential area," said U Than Lwin, whose house is situated next to the bulldozed parts of the project area. He is not alone. Down the avenue at Golden Valley Quarter, Dr  Myint Khaing hasn't had a good night's sleep since the project started in February. Situated at the lowest part of the neighborhood, his house is overshadowed by the project that towers nearly 20 feet above. Only a retaining wall separates the house and the project. "They are working day and night. They shout in Chinese. A backhoe is always buzzing. I can't sleep," said the 68-year old former medical doctor. He added that he had complained to the local administrator about the public nuisance being caused. "They just stopped for a while and then resumed their work," he said. On Sunday, The Irrawaddy witnessed some construction work going on despite the YCDC's suspension order—workers were erecting iron beams with the help of a crane while preparing rebars. Construction underway at the Myayeik Nyo project on Apr 1. (Photo: Kyaw Phyo Tha / The Irrawaddy) Like other people in the neighborhood, Dr Myint Khaing said he was against the project for he was worried about the possibility of the reservoir collapsing. Lying at the lowest part of the area and susceptible to occasional floods in rainy season, his house would be among the hardest hit if the reservoir collapses. His immediate concern is damage to the retaining wall by the project. "If the wall collapses, it will fall directly onto my house and it will be flattened." The post Construction Project Strikes Fear Into Residents Living Below Old Reservoir appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

China Warns Northern Alliance Against Cooperating with ARSA Posted: 02 Apr 2018 05:12 AM PDT China has warned Northern Alliance members with armed forces based near the Chinese border in northern Shan State not to cooperate with the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), according to border sources. The Northern Alliance is a block of seven armed ethnic groups. It is also known as the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC). "ARSA has networked with Uighur Muslim terrorists from [China's] Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region. So, China issued a warning to the Northern Alliance not to network or cooperate with ARSA," said a leader of an ethnic armed group who joined a three-day meeting in Panghsang from March 26-28. ARSA attacked government police bases and Myanmar Army (Tatmadaw) posts in Maungdaw, Rakhine State, in August last year, prompting a Tatmadaw clearance operation that caused hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims to flee the region. The Tatmadaw and the government consider ARSA to be a terrorist organization. In issuing the warning, China may be sending a message to the Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic armed organization and member of the Northern Alliance based on the Chinese border, according to some ethnic armed leaders, though China mentioned only the Northern Alliance in general, and did not single out the AA. The AA is an ethnic armed group with its origins in Arakan, but based in the Laiza and Kokang areas along the Chinese border. Its forces occasionally return to bases in Arakan to engage in clashes with the Tatmadaw. Some observers said China's concerns about cooperation between the AA and ARSA are minimal. China has historically worried about Western influence in conflicts in Arakan, particularly fearing its influence on AA leaders who have some military power in the region, according to some peace-process observers. The ethnic Arakan and Rohingya Muslim populations do not support each other—in fact they have a longstanding communal conflict. Nonetheless, China worries about the potential for AA to network with ARSA, according to sources close to some ethnic armed leaders. The FPNCC did not mention any warning to the Northern Alliance from China in its most recent statement, which focused on the peace process and the Panglong Peace conference, and condemned the Tatmadaw's attacks on Kachin, Palaung, Kokang, and Arakan forces. In the statement, the FPNCC said that if the government invited it to join the next session of the Panglong Peace conference, it would accept, on the condition that China facilitated travel to and from the conference, and guaranteed its security. Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Hong Liang met with Tatmadaw commander-in-chief Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyitaw on March 29, one day after the Panghsang meeting, according to a statement from the Ministry of Defense. The two discussed the peace process and plans for resettling Rohingya refugees who fled to Bangladesh from Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships in Rakhine. They also talked about how the Myanmar and Bangladesh armed forces plan to prevent further attacks by ARSA. The Tatmadaw will continue its efforts to achieve a lasting peace with the help of bilateral cooperation between the armed forces of Myanmar and China, according to the statement. The post China Warns Northern Alliance Against Cooperating with ARSA appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

State Counselor Emphasizes Need for ‘Collective Strength’ in Speech to Nation Posted: 02 Apr 2018 04:01 AM PDT CHIANG MAI, Thailand — In an address to the nation to mark the second anniversary of the NLD-led administration, State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said on Monday that her government keeps "in high regard the need for collective strength" to overcome the challenges Myanmar faces internally and internationally. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi emphasized the need for collective effort and unity, and urged the people "to assist and support" the government in its peace efforts in the country's ethnic states, including restive Rakhine in western Myanmar. She specifically called on the nation's youth to join in the peace effort and acknowledged those young people who are already participating in it. "I have been deeply heartened by the youths who have been assisting and participating in the work of the Union Enterprise for Humanitarian Assistance Resettlement and Development [UEHRD]," she said. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi formed the UEHRD in October last year to tackle humanitarian and human rights issues in Rakhine State with shared cooperation between stakeholders, union and local governments and local and international aid organizations. Following Muslim militant attacks on Myanmar security posts in northern Rakhine state in late August and subsequent military operations in the region by the Tatmadaw, nearly 700,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh. The UEHRD is leading repatriation efforts. The government has faced harsh international criticism over its handling of the Rohingya issue. The state counselor's speech did not provide any details on how the government would address the challenges posed by the international pressure on the country over the Rohingya issue. "I am firmly convinced that we can overcome any challenge – no matter how big or difficult – if we can set aside prejudices of organizations and select groups, and work without pointing fingers and if every one of us makes a concerted effort with good will, wisdom and courage," she said. "Collective strength is vital to build [the] peace and stability" that Myanmar needs, as well as bringing the strong foundation of mutual understanding and mutual respect in ending the seven-decades-long armed conflicts, she added. "Let us strive collectively for the emergence of a just and free nation – a nation which will guarantee equal rights and equality, a nation which practices a pure ideology. Not only in Rakhine State, which has received the attention of the world, but in the entire country collectively for security of mind and body." As with almost every speech made by Myanmar's leaders, the State Counselor consistently called on the public to show unity. Welcoming the State Counselor's comments, Sai Ngern, a spokesman of the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), agreed that collective effort is the key to achieving genuine peace and building a federal state. The RCSS is a signatory to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA). He said there are about "six key stakeholder groups" — the government, the Tatmadaw (Myanmar's military), the ethnic armed organizations (EAOs), the political parties, civil society organizations and the people – who must share responsibility. "In doing so [building collective strength], the government needs to open doors across the spectrum for total inclusiveness," he said, referring to the talks surrounding the NCA. And, he said, there should not be any pre-conditions for negotiations. Last year, the country's de facto leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said the government stands "together with the people" to reach development, peace and reconciliation in the country. And one year on, it adopted a new slogan, citing the need for "collective strength" to overcome challenges at home and abroad. Political analysts said questions remain as to how she defines "collective strength." Sai Nyunt Lwin, a Shan politician, said, "Their definition needs to be correct, and it is important to know with whom she will build strength; whether she wants to work collectively with the ethnic groups to serve the Union, or to build a good relationship with the Tatmadaw to wipe out the EAOs. She said before that it's time to change, and we thought the political system was going to change, but in reality, they changed themselves. Therefore the right definition is the key." The collective strength, "needs to be included in the perspectives of those stakeholders who have differing opinions," said Dr. Yan Myo Thein, a political analyst. The administration, legislature, the Tatmadaw, the EAOs, the political parties, civil society and the media need to collaborate and not to omit those who have different opinions, he said. The government also needs to hold regular talks with all stakeholders in the peace negotiations, he added. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's speech also pointed out the growth in rice exports last year, the first increase in agriculture production in decades. It is one of the first "economic indices" she has referred to in her speeches. She promised the government "will adopt programs that will bring real benefits to the citizens and… inform the people about our plans as we enter the New Year." Myanmar celebrates its traditional New Year over the next two weeks during the water festival, or Thingyan. She assured the nation that she had instructed all of her cabinet ministers "to inform the public" on road and electricity infrastructure development; the healthcare situation, including how "neonatal and maternal mortality rates have fallen"; on economic matters including "how foreign investment is still low; and how high inflation rate remains" as her government seeks to prioritize openness and transparency. She stressed that to gauge the progress of the country, it is important to know not only the facts and figures, but also "how much real impact these economic indices have had on the socio-economic life of the people." Improving people's quality of life is the first of three main goals the NLD government set for its remaining three years under the leadership of newly sworn-in President U Win Myint. The state counselor referred to President U Win Myint's inaugural speech and urged the people to listen and read it if they haven’t done so. This reference to the president's speech led Dr. Yan Myo Thein, the political analyst, to speculate that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi planned to grant the president more executive powers over the remaining three years of the NLD-led government's administration. The post State Counselor Emphasizes Need for 'Collective Strength' in Speech to Nation appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

For India, Security Trumps Human Rights Concerns When it Comes to Myanmar Posted: 02 Apr 2018 03:49 AM PDT Even as the US and UK oppose the idea of engaging in joint defense exercises with Myanmar’s army, better known as the Tatmadaw, because of its human rights abuses against ethnic minorities and possible genocide against the Rohingya, India continues to look the other way. The world's largest democracy, which shares a 1,600-km land border with the one-time global pariah, is in fact expanding its plans to help train the Tatmadaw. New Delhi has remained unperturbed by the terrible and widespread allegations against Myanmar’s defense services, and mounting calls to hold its generals accountable. The plight of the nearly 700,000 people who fled to Bangladesh to escape the Tatmadaw’s crackdown in northern Rakhine State since late August, now struggling in overcrowded refugee camps, seems not to matter to New Delhi, which appears to be developing an appetite for supporting Myanmar’s military. In the roughly four months since Nov. 20, India has engaged the Tatmadaw in three joint defense exercises. The latest exercises, the India-Myanmar Naval Exercise 2018 (IMNEX-18), began on Mar. 26 in Vishakapatanam, off the eastern coast of India in the Bay of Bengal. To be conducted in two phases — a harbor phase followed by a sea phase wrapping up on April 3 — the exercise is aimed at enhancing security cooperation and strengthening professional interaction between the two navies. The harbor phase will include briefings, practical demonstrations, professional discussions, social interactions, cross-deck visits and sports fixtures. The second phase will include four days of "complex operations [at sea], including fleet maneuvers, gun firings and coordinated anti-submarine exercises," according to a statement from the Indian Navy. The statement says two Myanmar Navy ships — the UMS King Sin Phyu Shin frigate and the UMS Inlay offshore patrol vessel — arrived in Vishakapatanam on Mar. 25. The Indian Navy is sending its INS Sahyadri anti-submarine frigate and INS Kamorta anti-submarine corvette, along with a Chetak helicopter, two Hawk advanced jet trainer aircraft and a submarine to take part. The exercise follows close on the heels of two other high-level military drills this year: the maritime Milan-8 at Port Blair in early March and the India-Myanmar Bilateral Military Exercise (IMBAX-2017) in Meghalaya in November. The first was aimed at enhancing Myanmar’s ability to join UN peacekeeping operations and featured more than a dozen army officers from each country. India's decision to engage with the Tatmadaw has raised questions among the international community in the past and is sure to continue to invite criticism. A source in South Block New Delhi, home of India’s Defense Ministry, said "it's a conscious decision to continue to develop strong security relations with Myanmar," perhaps intending to send a loud and clear message that international pressure will not force the country’s policy planners to yield. Very recently Thailand's decision to invite Myanmar to take part in the annual Cobra Gold war games, despite US objections did not go down well in the international community. The US ambassador to Thailand was asked to explain the presence of the Myanmar military but he skirted the question and passed the buck to the Thais. Many were outraged by the decision. The Business Insider UK quoted Zachary Abuza, a professor at the U.S. National War College, saying that "inviting Myanmar to the exercise was 'outrageous' and sent the wrong message." "To invite them after what the U.S. government has labeled ethnic cleansing, when the Treasury Department just yesterday designated the commander for these egregious violations of human rights, just seems wrong, and that is putting it too mildly," said Abuza, who focuses on Southeast Asia security issues, including human rights. But criticism and concern surely are not enough to dissuade countries like Thailand, India and China, which are strategically located near Myanmar and have security concerns that may override all forms of international pressure. The increasing cooperation between the militaries and the navies of both India and Myanmar is not surprising especially as both countries share long land and maritime boundaries. Myanmar shares a 1600-km-long land border with four of India's northeastern states and a maritime boundary in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal. Perhaps such cooperation is critical to the security of the region given that both countries are confronted by common problems of insurgency, human trafficking and drug smuggling. The rise of China and its aggressive forays in the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean were possibly the decisive factor that prompted New Delhi and Naypyitaw to work more closely than ever before. Indeed, defense and security cooperation between the two countries has strengthened since the 2015 elections. An Indian External Affairs Ministry statement issued recently claims that "exchange of high-level visits, signing of memorandum of understanding (MoU) on border cooperation, training, army, air force and naval staff talks are important indicators of this growing relationship." A string of exchanges have seen Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi make his first bilateral visit to Myanmar, in September 2017, and State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi visit India twice after her NLD government came to power. In July 2017, Myanmar Army chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing visited India in what was his second official trip to the country in as many years. India managed to get the Myanmar side to provide assurances at the highest levels that it would cooperate with India in taking necessary action to prevent the use of Myanmar territory for anti-Indian activity. On September the same year, India reciprocated by deciding to supply arms including US$39.7 million worth of lightweight torpedoes to Myanmar. These decisions were taken at a time when the pressure was mounting on India to join the international community in criticising the Tatmadaw for its crackdown on Rohingyas in Rakhine State. India has stood rock solid behind Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her government on the Rohingya issue, blaming terrorist groups for the attack on security forces. New Delhi was forced to express concern on the flight of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees only after severe international criticism. But improved defense cooperation with Myanmar, especially aimed at dismantling cross-border insurgency in India's Northeast, and also better naval cooperation are definitely the high octaves of melody for New Delhi. It is like a double-edged sword that India can use at once to find a solution to its insurgency issues while also using the maritime cooperation to keep an eye on Chinese influence in the region. For India, defense forms a vital component of its relationship with its Southeast Asian neighbor and it has apparently been a key area of focus under India's Look East policy, now known as the Act East Asia policy. This has also to do with the paradigm shift from a pro-democracy to a pro-military policy that India has implemented since the mid '90s. This shift has been largely seen as a decision which served India's national and security interests. It therefore perhaps matters little to New Delhi if the human rights situation deteriorates further in Myanmar not just in Rakhine but in Kachin and parts of northern Shan State. Ironically, the message from the world's largest democracy has been one of support for the Myanmar military. It started in the mid-1990s when it was dealing with a junta and has not changed and continues today through strong contacts with the Myanmar military. The author is a former senior journalist who has worked for national and international news media in India and elsewhere. Currently he is a contributing editor for The Irrawaddy. The post For India, Security Trumps Human Rights Concerns When it Comes to Myanmar appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

New Border Bases Rising on Top of Razed Rohingya Villages Posted: 02 Apr 2018 03:20 AM PDT MAUNGDAW, Rakhine State — Police are establishing four new border force regiments in northern Rakhine State’s Maungdaw District to improve security, mostly on top of recently razed Rohingya villages. An Irrawaddy reporter joined 13 other local journalists on a two-day guided tour of Maungdaw over the weekend organized by the government. U Ye Htut, of the Home Affairs Ministry’s Government Administration Department (GAD), said three of the bases were being established in Maungdaw Township and the fourth in neighboring Buthidaung Township. Several government officials told The Irrawaddy that authorities were quickly transforming hundreds of acres for a base in Myo Thu Gyi village, about 1.6 km from downtown Maungdaw. Since December, authorities have demolished all but a few government buildings in the village, once home to some 8,600 Muslims. Men work at the construction site of a new border force base in Kyein Chaung town, Rakhine State, on Saturday. Moe Myint / The Irrawaddy Nearly 700,000 Muslim Rohingya have fled northern Rakhine to Bangladesh since militant attacks on security force posts across the region triggered a massive military crackdown that has drawn accusations of ethnic cleansing from the UN and US. Security officials said they were working on the Myo Thu Gyi base with haste because they feared that militants might try to target Maungdaw or surrounding villages. Another of the four bases is being built in Maungdaw Township’s Kyein Chaung town, a mixed community of Rakhine, Rohingya, Hindus and Christians before the August attacks. A local GAD official, Win Naing Than, said authorities selected about 200 acres for the base in the neighborhood of Aung Sit Pyin. Muslim sources in the area said nearly 10,000 Rohingya used to live on the site, but all fled to Bangladesh in late 2017. On the government-led tour, a large part of the site could be seen cleared of all structures. A government official denied that the site had included any areas that were burned down in the violence that followed the August attacks, though a construction worker told The Irrawaddy that crews had bulldozed some charred structures and have built a 30-meter-wide road through Aung Sit Pyin. Trucks and other heavy machinery are seen at the construction site of a new border force base in Myo Thu Gyi village, Rakhine State, on Saturday. / Moe Myint / The Irrawaddy Another base is under construction in southern Maungdaw’s Inn Din village, which was also heavily populated by Rohingya before the latest outbreak of violence. The Irrawaddy reported on the base under construction in Buthidaung in February, likewise over land recently occupied by Rohingya. U Ye Htut said authorities have cleared about 10 villages in Maungdaw District in all to make way either for the bases or other plans to redistribute Muslim and Buddhist populations. The Irrawaddy counted at least a dozen villages along a roughly 140-km stretch of highway running through Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships that were completely or partially cleared with heavy machinery. They included Aung Sit Pyin, Ba Ka Ohn Nar, Chain Khar Lee, Inn Din, Myo Thu Gyi, Oh Tan, three villages in the Kyee Kan Pyin village tract, and two villages in the Maung Hnama village tract. The post New Border Bases Rising on Top of Razed Rohingya Villages appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

One Man Dies, Another Missing in Irrawaddy Bridge Collapse Posted: 02 Apr 2018 02:01 AM PDT PATHEIN, Irrawaddy Region — One man was killed and another is missing after a suspension bridge in Irrawaddy Region's Myaungmya Township collapsed early Sunday. The entire bridge fell into the river as a truck carrying the two men attempted to cross it in the early hours of Sunday. The body of the truck driver, Ko Than Zaw Htike (aka Mae Gyi), was found around 4 p.m. on Sunday, while truck owner Ko Aung Gyi was still missing as rescue workers continued their search on Monday. Both of the men were Myaungmya residents. "The truck was a six-wheeled vehicle and was carrying chicken feed when the accident happened at around 1:15 a.m. on Sunday. Steel suspension cables on the Myaungmya side broke and collapsed into river," lawmaker U Thant Zaw Win of Irrawaddy regional parliament from Myaungmya Township told The Irrawaddy. The bridge was a main transportation hub linking Myaungmya and Labutta townships with Pathein and Yangon. The collapse has halted the flow of commodities as well as transportation between Labutta and Myaungmya. "The bridge had to be repaired some two years ago after steel cables broke. I heard that major repairs were made twice in 2016 and 2017, respectively. But why did the whole bridge collapse now?" asked Myaungmya resident U Kyaw Win. "It's lucky that the truck was carrying only two people. What if it were a passenger bus?" Irrawaddy Region Transport Minister U Win Htay said the bridge was built in 1996 and had been under repair and maintenance. "For the time being, we have arranged three big boats that can carry cars across the river," he said. The bridge was opened to the public on March 27, 1996, and after its strength was found to have weakened significantly over the past few years, the gross weight limit for trucks was reduced to 20 tons. Last year, the Parliament approved Myaungmya Township lawmaker Dr. Soe Moe Thu's proposal to build a new bridge in Myaungmya at a cost of over 6 billion kyats. The lawmaker said that the bridge had suffered structural damage as a result of overweight aid convoys crossed the bridge in the aftermath of Nargis storm in 2008. Construction of a new bridge started late last year and is scheduled for completion in 2020. Before then the regional government will arrange large boats for travelers and vehicles. The post One Man Dies, Another Missing in Irrawaddy Bridge Collapse appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

French Fine Dining Combined With Local Ingredients Posted: 02 Apr 2018 01:06 AM PDT The French restaurant Orng Kitchen is a hidden gem offering a unique combination of French fine dining and local ingredients at reasonable prices. Myanmore 'Chef of the Year' winner Chef Orng opened this restaurant at the start of last year and his concept has remained the same: to offer quality fine dining at a reasonable price to Myanmar foodies. "We can describe our shop as an authentic French restaurant. The cooking technique is French but we use local ingredients. So, it's fine dining but with a twist of casual style. The price range is accessible to everyone," said Ko Orng, executive chef and owner of Orng Kitchen. Night scene at Orng Kitchen.(Photo: Htet Wai /The Irrawaddy) He added that fine dining meals often cost some $75 per person, but that his restaurant offers a lunch menu for $15, and he assures its quality and taste. Chef Ko Orng started his culinary career working as a part-time dish washer at a small restaurant in Scotland while he studied for his master's degree. He became interested in the restaurant industry and continued moving up. "I met with great people and worked in a good environment. Those eight years in Scotland were really competitive. They were all hard-working and that pushed me to try harder," Ko Orng said. Chef Ko Orng standing in front of his kitchen.(Photo: Htet Wai /The Irrawaddy) After completing his studies, he realized that he loved cooking and wanted to continue it as a career. He worked as a junior chef at the Michelin star Restaurant Castle Terrace before returning to Myanmar in 2016. "My parents wanted me to work in their home business but I wanted to open a French restaurant in Yangon," he said. The first four or five months, he struggled to spread the word. Chef Ko Orng training his team.(Photo: Htet Wai /The Irrawaddy) "I'm really thankful to all of my customers. They all are marketing for me and they spread the word. My shop is now busy because of them," Ko Orng said. When I arrived to the restaurant, it was a perfect noon lunchtime. If you are a first time visitor, you may have trouble finding the shop, located in a narrow lane at the corner of U Sein Mg Road and 7 Mile. The location offers a warm atmosphere. It's an escape from the noise and traffic of the city, where for an hour or two you can hear birds, sit beside a lotus pond and just relax. A French dish from Orng Kitchen.(Photo: Htet Wai /The Irrawaddy) The restaurant offers two set lunch menus so I asked chef Orng for a recommendation. There was an amuse-bouche served first – a canapé of groundnut and goat cheese: it was good. Then came homemade bread with salsa and garlic butter. The bread was not made with yeast and had a perfect, soft texture. The pumpkin soup course was too sweet and rich for me at first taste, but it grew on me – I ate it all. Then, began the start of a culinary journey, with a Mediterranean salt and pepper squid and octopus starter. A French dish from Orng Kitchen.(Photo: Htet Wai /The Irrawaddy) I could see that the ingredients were fresh, and the combination of octopus and tomato was awesome. Chef Orng believes in sourcing what local ingredients he can, for freshness and quality. Dishes came quickly. The staff brought the main dish of braised and rolled pork shoulder with mashed potatoes and assorted vegetables. The potatoes were creamy and the vegetables were fresh – matching the pork shoulder entrée. I was already full but I couldn't resist their crème brulee – creamy custard topped with a crispy, sugary crunch and fresh strawberries. All of the dishes were exceptional and creative. Ko Orng has a small cooking team – mostly Myanmar people – with whom he shares his passion and experience. The entrance to Orng Kitchen at night.(Photo: Htet Wai /The Irrawaddy) The staff is friendly and helpful; the restaurant is cozy and simply furnished; and the meals are luxury. There is also a great wine list at an affordable price. The presentation of the food and attention to detail was impeccable. So, if you are a food lover, I recommend this place. It is the only French fine dining restaurant run by a local chef, and it provides luxury tastes at amazing prices. The post French Fine Dining Combined With Local Ingredients appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Anti-Corruption Commissions Receives 1,700 Complaints in 3 Months Posted: 02 Apr 2018 12:50 AM PDT NAYPYITAW — Myanmar's Anti-Corruption Commission received more than 1,700 complaints of bribery and corruption in three months, most of them were filed against the Home Affairs Ministry. The commission received 1,781 complaints from January 1 to March 30, and more than 500 of them were filed against the Home Affairs Ministry, according to the press conference of the commission on Saturday. The judicial sector followed the Home Affairs Ministry with more than 300 complaints, followed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation with around 300 complaints, the Ministry of Education with 48 complaints, the Ministry of Border Affairs with 27 complaints, said member of the commission Daw Lei Lei Thwin. "We investigated complaints and handed them over to concerned departments. We couldn't address some complaints, and we have made a total of 261 replies, explaining why we can't deal with them," said Daw Lei Lei Thwin at the press conference. The commission could not take action against 949 out of 1,781 complaints, as those complaints did not comply with the commission law, she said. And the commission handed 479 complaints over to concerned Union ministries, Union-level agencies and regional and state governments. The commission is still verifying more than 300 complaints and currently investigating only 11 complaints. The commission has an information team that is assigned to scan newspapers daily to search for media criticism and reports about corruption, said team leader U Han Nyunt. "The [anti-corruption] law clearly states that the commission shall fight against corruption in cooperation with the media. So, the commission pays heed to the criticism and reports of the media every day," said U Han Nyunt. Ministries and regional and state governments are responsible under the Anti-Corruption Law to investigate and present a report to the commission within 60 days upon receiving complaints handed over by the commission. Commission member U Khin Maung Myint stressed that it is important to send solid evidence and details when filing complaints. "For example, complainants should provide details about how and why they were asked for money. They can submit video and sound files as evidence," said U Khin Maung Myint. In his inauguration address, newly elected President U Win Myint said that fighting corruption is one of the top priorities of his cabinet along with rule of law and socio-economic development of the people. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. The post Anti-Corruption Commissions Receives 1,700 Complaints in 3 Months appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Development Co to Build New City West of Yangon River  Posted: 02 Apr 2018 12:21 AM PDT YANGON — The Yangon regional government has formed the New Yangon Development Co Ltd (NYDC) to build a new city west of the Yangon River that it said will be twice the size of Singapore. U Phyo Min Thein, the Yangon chief minister, introduced the company at The Lotte Hotel in Yangon on Saturday. The company is fully owned and managed by the Yangon government, said U Phyo Min Thein. "The regional government will take responsibility for the project in order to reduce red tape," he said. "The area west of the Yangon River is less developed, and we'll strive to develop it with this project. We will industrialize the area and create job opportunities," he added. Yangon regional chief minister U Phyo Min Thein speaks at the launching ceremony of the NYDC on March 31. /Shwe Lay/The Irrawaddy The main aim of the project is to provide around two million jobs, he said. The NYDC was established with capital of 10 billion kyats (US$7.5 million) from the development funds allotted by the Union government to regional and state governments, said chairperson of the NYDC and Yangon regional minister for electricity, industry and transportation Daw Nilar Kyaw. The regional government will also invite private investment in the project. "The infrastructural construction, which is the first phase of the new town project, will cost more than $1.5 billion," said Serge Pun, the chief executive officer of the NYDC. Serge Pun is a Myanmar businessman of Myanmar-Chinese descent, and is the chairman of Serge Pun & Associates Group (SPA Group), a multinational real estate firm, and Yoma Bank, a Myanmar-based bank. "While I am serving as the CEO of NYDC, I and companies under my control will not bid for construction work in the new city project," said Serge Pun. The launching ceremony of the NYDC. /Shwe Lay/The Irrawaddy The infrastructure project will include two bridges, roads, an industrial zone, a power plant, power stations, and water and sewage treatment plants, according to NYDC. Yangon, the commercial capital of Myanmar, generates 19.3 trillion kyats, which is 26 percent of national GDP, according to the Yangon regional government. "As the city's population is expected to reach 10 million in the next 10 years, there is an urgent need to supply adequate housings, jobs, infrastructure, potable water and electricity," said U Phyo Min Thein. The new city will be modeled after China' Shenzhen and Malaysia's Iskandar, said Serge Pun. According to the previous southwest city expansion plan, the new city would cover some 30,000 acres on the west side of the Yangon River, including land in Kyimyindaing, Seikgyikanaungto and Twante townships. YNDC will later announce the timeframe of the project and tender for construction works, said Daw Nilar Kyaw. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. The post Development Co to Build New City West of Yangon River  appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

2 Letpadaung Locals Released on Bail After Confrontation with Police Posted: 01 Apr 2018 10:12 PM PDT MONYWA — Two women who had been arrested in the Letpadaung copper mining region, Monywa District, Sagaing Region, were released on bail on Saturday. Ma Thwae Thawe Win and Ma San San Hla, who were under police detention while receiving medical attention at Salingyi Township Hospital, were released on bail after the charges against them were changed and they signed an agreement stating that they would appear in court when called to face trial. The two women were arrested after a confrontation with police on March 29, while trying to prevent police from entering their village. Both women were in ill health and were detained and then hospitalized. Initially, the police filed lawsuits against the women for seriously injuring a police officer and obstructing police from carrying out their duties, which carry a maximum sentence of 10 years and are non-bailable offenses. Following a press conference with government officials in Monywa on Saturday morning, the charges were changed so that the pair could be released on bail. The press conference addressed the injured police officer, and skepticism regarding how she was hurt. Video footage circulating on social media seemed to discount the police version of the incident. Following the release of Ma Thwae Thawe Win and Ma San San Hla on Sunday, the regional border affairs and security minister announced that the final results of a medical examination showed that the police officer's injuries were minor compared to what was previously thought – a fractured shin turned out to be only bruises – and the lawsuit was amended. "Since the injuries were not serious, the lawsuit was changed to a bailable offense – injuring the police. And the two locals were released immediately," said Colonel Kyaw Thant Naing, the regional border affairs and security minister. The lawsuit has now been filed against three women – Ma Thwae Thwae Win, Ma San San Hla and Ma Phyu Phyu Win – who led locals in the confrontation with police. Initially, it had been filed against 10 locals. The court hearing will be on April 12 at the Salingyi Township court. "It is very clear that the police want to create problems and do not want us to live in peace," said Ma Thwae Thwae Win. "We did nothing to the police. We were only defending our village. However, we will face the lawsuit that they filed against us. We are not afraid as we have witnesses and evidence that we hurt no one." Residents of Letpadaung region have been wary of allowing police or local authorities to approach their villages since copper mining began in 2013, as authorities and mining companies have tried to forcibly relocate villages that lie within designated mining zones. Tensions first arose in the Letpadaung region in 2012, when locals protested the mining company's activities in the area, demanding compensation and the right to remain on their land. About 7,800 acres of land in Salingyi Township were confiscated for the project, which has been dogged by protests over poor compensation and environmental safeguards. The Letpadaung copper mining project, a joint venture between the Myanmar military-owned Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited (UMEHL) and the Chinese firm Wanbao, was launched in 2010. The post 2 Letpadaung Locals Released on Bail After Confrontation with Police appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

China and Vietnam Call for Maritime Disputes to be Settled Posted: 01 Apr 2018 09:44 PM PDT HANOI — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday China and Vietnam should settle their disputes in the South China Sea through talks and move to jointly exploit its waters. “We have agreed that settling the maritime issues is extremely important for the healthy and sustainable development of bilateral relations,” he told reporters after a meeting with Vietnamese Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh in Hanoi. China claims 90 percent of the potentially energy-rich maritime territory and has been building on and militarizing rocky outcrops and reefs in its waters. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also lay claim to parts of it, through which about $5 trillion of trade passes each year. Vietnam is the country most openly at odds with China over the issue. “The two sides should better manage disputes through talks and refrain from taking unilateral actions that may further complicate and expand the disputes,” Wang said. “At the same time, (the two sides) should promote cooperation at the sea, including holding talks on joint exploitation.” Wang and Minh said bilateral relations had seen positive development, with rising trade and investment as the two neighbors further opened up markets to each other. Bilateral trade exceeded $100 billion last year. Minh said Vietnam and China shared responsibility to maintain peace and stability in the region, reiterating Vietnam’s stance that the maritime disputes must be resolved peacefully and according to international law. The post China and Vietnam Call for Maritime Disputes to be Settled appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Violence Erupts in Kashmir After Security Forces Kill Militants: Police Posted: 01 Apr 2018 09:00 PM PDT SRINAGAR — Indian security forces killed at least three civilians and wounded about 70 in restive Kashmir on Sunday when hundreds of people tried to prevent them from carrying out operations against suspected militants, police and residents said. At least 17 other people, including 13 suspected militants, were killed in gun battles during the day in southern Kashmir, police officials said, the worst violence in the region this year. When hundreds of people came out on the streets of Kachdoora village in Shopian district to try to halt a gun battle between militants and security forces, troops used tear gas and pellet guns to disperse the crowd. They later opened fire. Local residents said that after the protests, the security forces called off the operation. Police said five militants and three soldiers were killed in the fighting. Muslim separatists have been waging a violent campaign against Indian rule since the late 1980s in Indian-held Kashmir. Fighting also broke out in two other villages in the region on Sunday. S.P. Vaid, the state director general of police, said the army received information on Saturday night about militants hiding in an area near Dragad village, about 50 km (30 miles) south of Kashmir’s capital of Srinagar and also in Shopian district. “In Dragad, 7 bodies of militants were recovered including top commanders. They were killed in a gunbattle,” Vaid said, adding that the owner of the house in which the militants were trapped was also killed. Another militant was killed in Dialgam village in Anantnag district, about 60 km (37 miles) south of Srinagar, while one was caught alive, he said. Authorities have directed schools and colleges in Kashmir to remain closed on Monday to prevent any recurrence of violence, and restrictions have been imposed in several areas. Train services to south Kashmir have been suspended as a precautionary measure, a railways official said, and Internet services in five districts have also been blocked. In south Kashmir’s Pulwama district the local administration has imposed restrictions on the movement of people and vehicles to prevent any violence. The post Violence Erupts in Kashmir After Security Forces Kill Militants: Police appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Rohingya Refugee Boat Restocks After Storm in Southern Thailand Posted: 01 Apr 2018 08:53 PM PDT BANGKOK — A boat with Rohingya refugees restocked with essential supplies at an island in southern Thailand on Sunday, authorities said, amid signs that overcrowding in Bangladeshi camps could prompt many others to make similarly perilous sea crossings. Some 700,000 Rohingya Muslims crossed the border from Myanmar’s Rakhine State into Bangladesh after militant attacks in August sparked a military crackdown that United Nations and Western countries have said constitutes ethnic cleansing. The boat, carrying 56 refugees, stopped on Lanta Island in southern Krabi province after a heavy storm on Saturday evening. It was the first Rohingya vessel spotted off Thailand in more than a year, local police said. “We treated them with humanitarian consideration and allowed them to return to sea because they told us they were heading to Malaysia,” Lanta police chief, Police Colonel M.L. Pattanajak Chakrabandhu told Reuters. Locals gave the refugees food and water, he said. Tens of thousands of Rohingya fled by sea following an outbreak of sectarian violence in Rakhine State in 2012, some falling prey to human traffickers. That exodus peaked in 2015, when an estimated 25,000 people fled across the Andaman Sea for Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Rights groups expect another surge in Rohingya boats reaching Southeast Asia, even if not at the levels of the past. “We have received credible information about boats full of Rohingya refugees making their way to Malaysia over the last few months,” Matthew Smith co-founder of advocacy group Fortify Rights told Reuters. “The humanitarian situation in Bangladesh for the refugees is very difficult.” Malaysian coast guard chief Zulkifili Abu Bakar said the service had yet to receive any information on possible arrivals. He added standard policy was to turn away refugee boats attempting to make landfall, unless weather conditions are bad. “We may allow them to come in and feed them … our concern is that if we allow one boat in, we have to allow other boats in after that,” Zulkifili told Reuters. “It all depends, so far we’re just keeping a lookout,” he said. The post Rohingya Refugee Boat Restocks After Storm in Southern Thailand appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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How Will Myanmar’s Political Landscape Change With a Newly-elected President Posted: 30 Mar 2018 08:42 PM PDT Kyaw Zwa Moe: Welcome to Dateline Irrawaddy! We can conclude that the National League for Democracy (NLD) government led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has changed the president in order to boost its performance. We'll discuss the prospects for national reconciliation and internal peace and if there will be more friction between the government and the military, which holds a certain degree of political power under the 2008 Constitution, if Vice President U Win Myint is elected as president. Yangon Region lawmaker Ma Kyi Pyar and political analyst Ko Maung Maung Soe join me to discuss this. I'm Irrawaddy English editor Kyaw Zwa Moe. Dateline Irrawaddy: How Will Myanmar's Political Landscape Change With a Newly-elected President DATELINE IRRAWADDYHow Will Myanmar's Political Landscape Change With a Newly-elected PresidentThe Irrawaddy discusses prospects for peace and progress in Myanmar with a newly-elected president at the helm. Posted by The Irrawaddy – English Edition on Friday, March 30, 2018 U Win Myint was elected as vice president, and should be elected as president by the time this dateline is published. (He was elected as president on Wednesday, following the recording of this episode of Dateline). I assume that the NLD-led government changed the political landscape by changing the president two years after it took office. The difference between U Win Myint and U Htin Kyaw is that the former is more politically experienced, and has been elected three times since the 1990 general elections. He is also known for his assertiveness in Parliament. Ma Kyi Pyar, how will political landscape change if he is elected as president? Kyi Pyar: I expect it will change a lot, but we'll have to wait and see. U Win Myint definitely was a strong navigator of Parliament in the past two years. There must be certain reasons behind shifting such a person to lead the executive branch. We've heard about a possible change in the presidency, but we didn't expect U Win Myint to be elected because he was so strong in Parliament. So, there must have been several reasons behind the shift. First of all, the State Counselor has had to struggle in the government. There might have been hurdles and troubles. Meanwhile, the legislative branch is doing well and U Win Myint apparently has had to work hard to maintain balance with the executive branch. In some cases, the executive branch can't keep abreast of the legislative branch. If U Win Myint becomes the president—I am sure he will—it will be a boost for the State Counselor. Since U Win Myint is a member of the central executive committee of the NLD, he already has a strong position. And as the Lower House speaker, he knows well the function of the government. So, he will be able to better control and push the executive branch. We expect him to be able to support Daw Aung San Suu Kyi a lot. KZM: We assume that U Win Myint was chosen for a different reason. He was chosen as he is politically shrewder and more experienced. We view this as the NLD taking a step forward for the next three years. To what extent will it be effective? To what extent will it change the cabinet? Maung Maung Soe: The new president will be chosen for two reasons. First, as Article 59 (f) of the Constitution hasn't been changed over the past two years, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is still barred from the presidency. Again, she wants to share her responsibility with the president because of her workload and age. I would like to NLD government to be transparent in making the change. In democracies like the US, people know the next president one year in advance. In China, which exercises the one-party system, people know five years in advance who the president will be. But in our country, it is like a lottery. We don't know who will be the president. I want the government to change this. The government should declare who will be the president and seek public support. The NLD was born of the people, and it shouldn't be afraid to seek public support. KZM: Do you think they will thoroughly reform the cabinet? MMS: According to Article 235 of the 2008 Constitution, when a president dies or retires before completing his term, the existing cabinet shall be in office only until a new cabinet is formed. This means the new president may form a new cabinet, and the incumbent ministers may be or may not be included in the new cabinet. As soon as the new cabinet takes office, the incumbent cabinet has to step down. This is according to the Constitution. We will wait and see what the new cabinet looks like. In my opinion, ministers of the incumbent cabinet are too old. Most of them are 65 to 70. I want to see younger ones—they don't need to be too young—just around 50 to 60, active, and healthy enough to perform their duties—in the cabinet. And the NLD should appoint younger members in their 40s and 50s, even if they don't have experience, as deputy ministers to provide them a space to learn. KZM: There must be changes to the cabinet in order to improve its capacity. Over the past two years, the performance of individual ministers, either in the field of economy or tourism, as well as the whole cabinet was strongly criticized. Ma Kyi Pyar, what is your suggestion for ministers and NLD party members? KP: As U Maung Maung Soe has pointed out, they have experience given their age. But then they are not active or innovative enough. It would be better if we had ministers aged between 50 and 60. However, some are capable even though they are over 60. Ministers and deputy ministers are political posts. If they have political acumen and are capable of management, they can seek the recommendations from scholars anytime, in order to do their tasks well. Over the past two years, the government did use relevant scholars. But those scholars could not think from a political point of view. The problem is that our country is not undergoing a smooth democratic transition. I think the government will be able to perform better if ministers can see things from a political point of view and seek advice from scholars. Another problem is that the government didn't appoint deputy ministers at first, though it now has appointed a few over time. While ministers have to work directly with permanent secretaries, because of the mergers of some ministries, ministers had to take responsibility of many departments, and as permanent secretaries are in fact the old guard, there are considerable difficulties in running the government. Much remains to be done to improve the economy and education, which are crucial for the country. As ours is a poor country, we've expected a lot from the tourism industry for economic development, and there is still large room for improvement in those sectors, I think. KZM: U Win Myint appears to outshine politically and has resolute leadership. But as the president, how would he engage with the Tatmadaw? I think it is a bigger problem since national reconciliation and internal peace depend on the relationship with the Tatmadaw. Will there be more friction? What do you think? MMS: The army chief has repeatedly said that the Tatmadaw will obey the orders of the president. Taking a look at the performance of U Win Myint over the past two years, he worked strictly in line with the law. Even if there are frictions between the forces who declared allegiance to the 2008 Constitution and U Win Myint who can strictly act on provisions in the 2008 Constitution, he will be able to handle it properly, I believe. He will be able to enforce strict discipline on the government, whose discipline is too lax. The new president will share responsibility with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for the time being. He won't handle all of the issues. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will still maintain some ministries and handle some issues. He will be able to enforce strict disciple on the ministries he handles. KZM: U Htin Kyaw didn't appear to have complete executive power. But I think U Win Myint will have greater executive power. Ma Kyi Pyar, what do you think? KP: I think so. As I've said, the State Counselor has had to struggle alone amid troubles. I like former President U Htin Kyaw for his honesty and his way of living his life. But he seems to have had difficulty holding this political post. The new president-elect U Win Myint is not only a tower of strength in the party, but was also given the responsibility to lead the Lower House with trust, and he could perform well. So, he will be able to support the State Counselor a great deal, and I think the executive branch will be able to function more swiftly. KZM: U Win Myint has legal expertise, and knows politically about what is happening on the ground. To what extent will he be able to play and push for peace as the president – as the peace process mainly depends on negotiation with military leaders? MMS: The peace process is directly handled by the State Counselor through the NRPC (National Reconciliation and Peace Center). I am not sure if this responsibility will be handed over to the new president. I've read a news report that said the KNU (Karen National Union) said in a statement that it wants the new president to lead the peace process. But for the time being, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will still maintain this responsibility, and hand it over gradually. KZM: President U Htin Kyaw was the 9th president of Myanmar elected by the people. And U Win Myint has become the 10th civilian president elected by the people. So, the trend of civilian presidency is continuing. To what extent will this push for political reform and what do you think will be achieved as a result in the next two or three years before the general elections in 2020? KP: I personally have concerns for 2020. We contested the election in 2015, thinking we would make changes. But in reality, there have been a lot of difficulties. People have high expectations, and we still can't satisfy their expectations. Things definitely didn't get worse over the past two years, but we need to fulfill the requirements of people more. The government has started to make changes two years after taking the office, and if we can prepare as best we can in the next two, we won't have to worry much about the 2020 election. That is, if we can satisfy the public. KZM: We now have a new president, but no matter how much he is capable, given the current political landscape and the 2008 Constitution, it is difficult to amend provisions like Article 59 (f) and build peace. The NLD government's expectation of peace and national reconciliation is still far from reality. How much we can expect? Do you think the military leaders will be willing to negotiate for this in next two or three years? MMS: Peace-building is a long-term process and needs relentless effort. The NLD still has public support. And it needs to make good use of it. People will support the NLD whether they like it or not because they hate military dictatorship and don't want the return of the military-backed USDP (Union Solidarity and Development Party). So, people will support it anyway while there is no other option. The NLD should make good use of that support. What the NLD government should be aware of is economic problems. The inflation rate has been rather stable in the past two years. And the kyat-dollar exchange rate is also stable compared to the time of [former president] U Thein Sein. But, food prices have significantly increased. So, the government should be aware of the hardship facing the people. If people experience greater hardship, it will become a crisis for the government. There will be political instability. The NLD government needs to control this in the next three years. As I've said, peace and constitutional reform will still be difficult. KZM: We will wait and see how Myanmar will change under the new government. Thank you for your contributions! The post How Will Myanmar's Political Landscape Change With a Newly-elected President appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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