Tuesday, April 24, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Three More NLD Lawmakers to Be Reprimanded

Posted: 24 Apr 2018 08:04 AM PDT

The ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) plans to reprimand three more of its lawmakers, bringing the total number it has disciplined since taking office to nearly 40, party spokesperson U Myo Nyunt told The Irrawaddy.

"[Before the latest incidents] we had reprimanded 35 representatives. Now, we are going to take action against three more. So the total is nearly 40. All of them were reprimanded during the two years of the government's term [so far]," U Myo Nyunt said.

They will either be stripped of their duties or given warnings, but they will not be expelled from the party. "If they were forced to leave, the functions of [the legislative bodies in which they serve] would be affected," said a source close to the party.

The NLD's central executive committee announced at a meeting on April 22 that action would be taken against one Union Parliament and two regional parliament lawmakers for breaches of disciplinary and financial rules. "They failed to observe party discipline. We instruct lawmakers to follow party discipline whenever they interact with the public and the executive committee. Representatives are required to report their parliamentary activities to the executive committee and coordinate with it," U Myo Nyunt said.

He also said representatives must keep proper financial accounts, form committees to manage funds, issue financial statements and behave properly. Those who fail to do so will be reprimanded.

Complaints were lodged against Upper House Representative U Pe Chit; Representative U Than Swe of Seikkyi Kanaungto constituency; and Mon State representative and Minister for Electricity, Energy and Industry U Min Htin Aung Han. U Pe Chit, who represents Hmawbi, Htantabin and Shwepyithar townships, has submitted a resignation letter to the party as he wants to be an independent representative. The retired major has been given a warning by the party.

"He is a retired major from Mudon, and took officer training in the same intake with senior NLD figure U Win Htein. The party has warned him several times. He has submitted a resignation letter but the party did not accept it. He does not follow party policy and acts like an independent representative," said a source in the party.

Spokesman U Myo Nyunt said the party has not made any decision about U Pe Chit, who is still performing his duties despite having submitted his resignation letter to the party. "U Pe Chit has stopped cooperating with us and has been carrying out his own activities as an independent representative since he submitted the resignation letter," said U Aung Win, a Lower House representative from Hmawbi Township.

U Pe Chit was not available for comment.

Representative U Than Swe of Seikki Khanaungto Township said he was accused of speaking rudely at a township executive committee meeting. He was summoned to party headquarters in January 2018 to face a party probe. He said he did not know whether he would be reprimanded. "This is a minor issue. Most complaints are concerned with corruption. I have never been involved in corruption. My problem is just over a disagreement," he added.

Mon State Minister U Min Htin Aung Han told The Irrawaddy that he had never been reprimanded by the party and claimed the report concerning him was false.

The NLD has reprimanded a number of its members including the party's Kayah State chairman, Dr Khin Sithu; Shan State chairperson Daw Moe Moe; youth leader Dr Soe Moe Thu; former Army captain and Representative U Nyan Lin of Shwepyithar Township; and Representative U Sein Win from Maubin, all of whom were forced to leave the party.

Verbal and written warnings were also issued to representatives by influential leader U Win Htein, who is now a patron of the party.

The post Three More NLD Lawmakers to Be Reprimanded appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Kachin Groups Urge UN to Refer Myanmar to ICC

Posted: 24 Apr 2018 07:55 AM PDT

CHIANG MAI, Thailand — Ethnic Kachin communities at home and abroad are urging the United Nations Security Council to refer Myanmar to the International Criminal Court (ICC), citing a recent military campaign in Kachin State’s Tanai Township that has displaced thousands of civilians and trapped many in the conflict zone.

A letter issued Monday and endorsed by 32 Kachin associations both in Myanmar and overseas says the 15-member Security Council “must support a resolution referring Burma to the International Criminal Court," using another name for the country.

If they fail to do so, the letter adds, Security Council member “are making an active decision to allow the Burma military to keep killing ethnic civilians."

Kachin "are hoping for the UN to take action, because the situation is getting much worse and UN intervention is urgently needed," said Moon Nay Li, spokesperson for the Kachin Women’s Association Thailand.

Some 2,000 civilians from Awng Lawt, Sut Ra, and Sut Ring Yang villages have fled their homes to escape the latest fighting between the Myanmar military, or Tatmadaw, and the Kachin Independence Army. Many of them are trapped by the fighting in the jungle.

At least three people from Laiza town in Waingmaw Township and from Awng Lawt village in Tanai were reportedly killed during the second week of April by Tatmadaw artillery fire.

Monday’s letter says the Kachin and other ethnic minority groups in Myanmar have been subject to numerous violations of international law including execution, torture, forced displacement, forced labor, rape and other forms of sexual violence, confiscation of property, arbitrary arrest and detention, and denial of humanitarian assistance.

"The Burma military has used these tactics to instill fear and control in their attempts to destroy our ethnic identity, destroy our religion, colonize our lands, and steal our natural resources," it says.

"As the Burmese military's culture of impunity remains unchecked, [the] Burmese government is unable to exercise rule of law or capacity to protect [the] life of its citizens,” the letter adds. “We are once again appealing to the international community to hold perpetrators of war crimes and crime[s] against humanity…to account before [the] current conflict spills over to bordering regions."

U Aung Htoo, a human rights lawyer and founder of the Legal Aid Network, said the military’s definition of the rule of law meant upholding the military-drafted 2008 Constitution and existing laws. But even by that definition, he said, "the essence of it, taking action against perpetrators and seeking justice for victims, is disappearing."

"The military leaders who commit these crimes are too bold and commit them repeatedly. Therefore, we need to approach this through the ICC and other international courts to take action against them," he said.

His network launched a report, "Seeking Accountability for Ending Impunity in Burma," on Tuesday in Chiang Mai, Thailand, that analyzes three alleged war crimes in Shan, Karenni and Kachin state between November 2016 and January 2018.

The post Kachin Groups Urge UN to Refer Myanmar to ICC appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Reuters Case Timeline

Posted: 24 Apr 2018 05:53 AM PDT

For the past four months, Reuters reporters Ko Wa Lone and Ko Kyaw Soe Oo have been shuffled back and forth between prison and a Yangon courtroom, accused of violating the colonial-era Official Secrets Act for possessing documents they were handed over dinner by police. In explosive court testimony last week, a police captain claimed that a superior officer ordered police to entrap the two journalists. The Irrawaddy looks back at the major developments in the case since the pair was arrested on Dec. 12.

Dec. 12, 2017: Two Reuters journalists, Ko Wa Lone and Ko Kyaw Soe Oo, are arrested in northern Yangon at around 9 p.m.

Dec. 12, 2017: At around 10 p.m., northern district police chief Lt-Col Yu Naing seeks permission from the President’s Office to prosecute the journalists under the Official Secrets Act.

Dec. 13, 2017: Acting President U Myint Swe grants Lt-Col Yu Naing authority to prosecute Ko Wa Lone and Ko Kyaw Soe Oo under the Official Secrets Act. The same day, the two journalists are sent to the Aung Tha Pyae Interrogation Center. They are to remain there until Dec. 26.

Dec. 14, 2017: The government announces the arrest in state-run newspapers, saying the two journalists will be prosecuted for violating the Official Secrets Act for possessing important and secret government documents relating to Rakhine State and security forces. The Information Ministry says they had "illegally acquired information with the intention to share it with foreign media." The announcement says the two police officers, Capt. Moe Yan Naing and Sgt. Khin Maung Lin, will be charged with the Official Secrets Act and the Police Disciplinary Act for their interaction with the journalists.

Dec. 27, 2017: The two journalists are brought to court for the first time to have their detention for interrogation extended by another 14 days and to allow them to meet their families and a lawyer.

Jan. 8, 2018: Home Affairs Minister Lt-Gen Kyaw Swe approves an order to prosecute the journalists under Article 3 (1) ( c ) of the Official Secrets Act. The article says: "If any person for any purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the State…obtains, collects, records or publishes or communicates to any other person any secret official code or password, or any sketch, plan, model, article or note or other document or information which is calculated to be or might be or is intended to be, directly or indirectly, useful to an enemy; he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend, where the offence is committed in relation to any work of defense, arsenal, naval, military or air force establishment or station, mine, minefield, factory, dockyard, camp, ship or aircraft or otherwise in relation to the naval, military or air force affairs of [the State] or in relation to any secret official code, to fourteen years and in other cases to three years."

Jan. 10, 2018: Prosecutors ask the court that Ko Wa Lone and Ko Kyaw Soe Oo be charged under the Official Secrets Act.

Jan 23, 2017: Lt-Col Yu Naing tells the court that Capt. Moe Yan Naing and Sgt. Khin Maung Lin were not detained in his district.

Feb. 6, 2018: A prosecution witness who was part of the police team that arrested the journalists, 2nd Lt. Tin Htwe Oo, tells the court that he had burned the notes he made at the time but offers no explanation as to why.

Feb. 14, 2018: Another prosecution witness who was also part of the arrest team, 2nd Lt. Myo Ko Ko, tells the court he was not familiar with police procedures for recording arrests. When asked where the arrests took place, he says it was on a street lined with factories. His answer contradicts a map, previously produced by police and submitted to the court, that shows stores and tea shops but no factories.

March 28, 2018: Defense lawyer U Khin Maung Zaw submits a request to have the case dismissed on grounds of insufficient evidence.

Apr 11, 2018: Judge Ye Lwin rejects the defense’s request to have the case dismissed, stating that there is “a proper reason” for the accusations against the two reporters and that "they should not be released."

Apr 20, 2018: As a prosecution witness, Capt. Moe Yan Naing tells the court that police Brig-Gen Tin Ko Ko ordered officers to “trap” the Reuters reporters arrested in December, instructing them to meet the journalists at a restaurant and give them “secret documents.”

Apr 23, 2018: The Myanmar National Human Rights Commission sends the Ministry of Home Affairs a letter urging it to ensure that Capt. Moe Yan Naing’s rights are not violated.

The post Reuters Case Timeline appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Regional Military Commanders Reshuffled

Posted: 24 Apr 2018 04:58 AM PDT

Nine regional military commanders were reshuffled under an order from the Office of Military Appointments under the Office of the Commander-in-Chief (Army).

Commander Maj-Gen Nyi Nyi Swe (Intake 30 of the Defense Services Academy, or DSA) of the Northern Command and Commander Maj-Gen Teza Kyaw (Intake 73 of the Officers Training School, or OTS) of the Southwest Command replaced each other's post.

Commander Brig-Gen Khin Hlaing (Intake 17 of the Officers Training Course, or OTC) of the Northeast Command was replaced by Commander Maj-Gen Aung Zaw Aye (Intake 28 of the DSA) of the Triangle Region Command while Principal of the National Defense College Maj-Gen Moe Myo Aung (Intake 32) was transferred to the Southeast Command.

Commander Maj-Gen Win Min Tun (Intake 27 of the DSA) of the Eastern Command and Commander Maj-Gen Lin Aung (Intake 27 of the DSA) of the Coastal Region Command replaced each other's post.

Commander Maj-Gen Myat Kyaw (Intake 68 of the OTS) was replaced by Commander Maj-Gen Myo Win (Intake 71 of the OTS) of the Southeast Command while the former was transferred to the National Defense College.

"Such a reshuffle of commander posts is a very rare move for the Tatmadaw and is done only when completely necessary. When a commander retires for health reasons, the post is filled. Generally, commanders of light infantry divisions are promoted to commanders of regional commands, who are then promoted to heads of the Bureau of Special Operations," said U Maung Maung Soe, a Myanmar military observer.

He also added that it is very difficult to guess the reason behind the reshuffle, but that the Myanmar military has to be prepared as it has been put on a United Nations blacklist and military tensions are mounting in Kachin State, Lashio and Karen State.

Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing has not yet retired although his retirement age has been reached. The next commander-in-chief of defense services might be chosen from the new generation, according to military sources.

Maj-Gen Moe Myint Tun (Intake 30 of the DSA) will be 55 years old in 2020 and he is tipped to be the next head of the Tatmadaw. He has risen through the ranks quickly, as the current Chief of General Staff (Army,Navy and Air) Gen Mya Tun Oo has as well.

Translated from Burmese by Myint Win Thein.

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Thai Court Orders Arrest of UK Labor Rights Activist

Posted: 24 Apr 2018 03:55 AM PDT

YANGON — British labor rights activist Andy Hall said a Thai court ordered his arrest on Tuesday so that he is present when the Appeals Court announces its verdict on his criminal conviction for defamation and computer crimes next month.

The Bangkok South Criminal Court convicted Hall in September 2016 over a report he worked on accusing Thailand’s Natural Fruit Company of human rights abuses at a factory using migrant workers from Myanmar. It sentenced him to four years in prison, though it reduced the sentence by one year and suspended two.

Hall, whose research has covered the labor conditions of migrant workers in Thailand from Myanmar and other neighboring countries, left Thailand soon after he was convicted.

In a statement to Finnish labor rights group Finnwatch, which published the 2013 report used to sue him, Hall said the warrant was more of the same court harassment he has faced from the start.

"I have faced intolerable amounts of judicial harassment, which essentially undermined my ability to do human rights work effectively inside Thailand. This is why I left the country in November 2016. I am disappointed and concerned this warrant has now being [sic] issued for my arrest and this unacceptable judicial harassment against me continues unabated," he told Finnwatch.

The labor rights group said the Appeals Court was set to announce its verdict today but in Hall’s absence rescheduled the hearing for May 31. It said Hall’s legal team was there.

Contacted by email, Hall told The Irrawaddy that he had no intention of returning to Thailand on his own accord “whilst judicial harassment against me continued” and that he was consulting legal experts on the possibility of Thai authorities seeking an international arrest warrant.

Hall said he had not been summoned to today’s court hearing through any official or legal channels and so questioned the legal grounds on which the warrant itself was ordered.

“I have asked the UK government and European Union to make representations on my behalf concerning this issue,” he said.

Even so, Hall, currently in Nepal, said he would seek legal advice before traveling anywhere in Southeast Asia.

In its statement, Finnwatch corroborated the arrest order and said it remained hopeful that the Thai courts would clear Hall of any wrongdoing.

"We remain hopeful the Appeals Court will acquit Andy of all these charges. The charges against him stem from his legitimate work as a human rights defender and migrant worker rights activist. He is not a criminal," said Sonja Vartiala, the group’s executive director.

The September 2016 conviction relates to one of four civil and criminal cases Natural Fruit has filed against Hall over the 2013 report and a subsequent interview he gave Al Jazeera.

Last month, a Thai court ordered Hall to pay 10 million baht ($318,000) in damages to Natural Fruit in a civil defamation case relating to the interview, which he gave in Yangon, and to compensate the company for legal expenses. Hall has instructed his legal team to appeal.

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Tatmadaw Using Ceasefire to Gain Upper Hand, KNLA Deputy Chief Says

Posted: 24 Apr 2018 03:33 AM PDT

Ethnic Karen need to adapt to new threats from the Myanmar Army (or Tatmadaw), according to the deputy chief of the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), who accused the Tatmadaw of violating the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA).

In an interview with the Karen Information Center, General Baw Kyaw Heh said the Myanmar Army had exploited the ceasefire in order to infiltrate areas under the control of the KNLA's Brigade 5.

"I want to urge our ethnic Karen to look back to our past, our history, our identity, and our political experiences. We need to change our ideology. We need to prepare and bravely confront what we have to face. There are challenges we can avoid, but there are those we cannot. If we act, we will definitely secure our rights," the general said.

Under the terms of the NCA, signatories agree not to reinforce troops, create new battalions, engage in major troop movements, or transport supplies to battalions.

However, Gen Baw Kyaw Heh said, the Tatmadaw had not only done these things, but had in fact deployed and moved more troops since the agreement was signed.

"They have quite clearly taken advantage of the ceasefire as part of their effort to move into our areas of control. Some people may think their movements are normal, but it is the opposite. To me, it is easy to see the moves they have made since the ceasefire," he said.

He said the Tatmadaw had launched an operation against the KNLA's Brigade 5. This was not a conventional operation, he said, adding that the Tatmadaw had a plan to attack the KNLA and he was concerned about this.

The aim of the NCA, Gen Baw Kyaw Heh said, was to build trust between the KNLA and the Myanmar Army by avoiding clashes and confining their troops to their bases. But it now appeared that these were empty words, and that the Tatmadaw was just pursuing its own military agenda, he said.

"Whether we have a ceasefire or not, they just act according to their plan. They have a preset agenda," he said.

Military tensions remain high between the KNLA's Brigade 5 and the Tatmadaw, following repeated clashes recently. About 2,000 Karen IDP have fled villages in Brigade 5-controlled areas.

The last round of proposed peace talks between the KNLA and the Tatmadaw collapsed when the latter's condition that the commander of Brigade 5 join the talks was not met.

The Karen National Union, the political wing of the KNLA, has been an active participant in the peace process, working with the National League for Democracy-led government and the Myanmar Army. The KNU was also a leader among the ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) in signing the NCA and working to advance the peace process. So why did the Tatmadaw now want to make problems for the KNLA, as a signatory to the NCA, peace process observers asked.

EAOs have lost trust in the Myanmar Army, according to the observers, many of who now believe the process has stalled amid Tatmadaw offensives against the Kachin, Ta'ang National Liberation Army, Karen, and other armed groups.

"The EAOs have lost trust in the [Tatmadaw]. They have tense relations with the army. It seems the army is looking to get the upper hand in terms of military power amid the tension," said Maung Maung Soe, a Yangon-based ethnic affairs analyst.

However, neither the EAOs nor the Tatmadaw seek to abandon the peace process entirely, Maung Maung Soe said, adding that some of the EAOs still plan to attend the upcoming Panglong peace conference.

"It is important that peaceful solutions can be found at this conference. If not, the peace process will be set back," he said.

The post Tatmadaw Using Ceasefire to Gain Upper Hand, KNLA Deputy Chief Says appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Rights Commission Warns Govt of Possible Rights Violations Against Reuters Whistleblower

Posted: 24 Apr 2018 03:24 AM PDT

The Myanmar National Human Rights Commission (MNHRC) has sent a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs in an effort to safeguard the rights of Police Captain Moe Yan Naing, who told a court that Reuters journalists had been entrapped by the police led by Police Brig-Gen Tin Ko Ko, are not violated.

According to his family, Police Cpt. Moe Yan Naing of Police Battalion No. 8 has been detained for more than 120 days without family visits after being accused of passing secret documents regarding Rakhine State to two reporters, who have also been detained since Dec. 12, 2017.

"It is okay that he is not allowed to see his family if it is because the investigation might be hampered by such a meeting. There are rules and regulations. If there is no reason to deny him family visits, then it is a violation of his human rights," said U Yu Lwin Aung, a member of the MNHRC.

The police captain appeared in court for the first time on April 20 and testified that reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were framed by the police. His family was evicted from police housing in Naypyitaw following his account.

The Protection Committee for Myanmar Journalists (PCMJ) sent a complaint to the MNHRC on April 23 urging the commission to investigate possible human rights abuses against the reporters and the police officer.

However, PCMJ co-founder Ko Tharlun Zaung Htet said that he was disappointed as the letter sent to the ministry by the MNHRC only tackled possible abuses against the police officer, adding that he hoped the commission would do more to protect the public's basic rights in the future.

The police officer will be charged under the Official Secrets Act and the Police Force Maintenance of Discipline Law, according to a statement released on Dec. 14.

The MNHRC neither has immediate plans to visit the police officer nor his wife, Ma Tu Tu, according to U Yu Lwin Aung.

Translated from Burmese by Myint Win Thein.

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Indonesia Environment Minister Rebuffs Groups Who Want More Forest Preserved

Posted: 23 Apr 2018 10:28 PM PDT

YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesia’s environment minister on Monday rebuffed conservationists who want the government to add secondary forests to its moratorium on issuing new licenses to use land designated as primary forest.

Announced in May 2011, the first two-year moratorium was applauded as an important step in reducing deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions, and it has been extended three times.

Environmental groups like Greenpeace and the World Resources Institute have urged the government to strengthen and extend the ban to include secondary forests — areas that were cleared, but where woody vegetation has again taken over.

Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya Bakar has told the Thomson Reuters Foundation that extending the moratorium to secondary forests could undermine the country’s economic development goals.

“We have to think about it, because Indonesia has a huge population and we’re still in the progress of developing,” she said.

Bakar said the government’s main priority is assessing which land may be licensed for development, while deciding on the designation of secondary forests may come later.

“Secondary forests are a secondary priority,” she said.

Home to the world’s third-largest tropical forests, Indonesia is also the biggest palm oil producer. Environmentalists blame much of the forest destruction on land clearance for the crop.

The 2011 moratorium was part of a $1 billion deal with the Norwegian government to help Indonesia reduce forest clearing. By November 2016, the moratorium covered an area of more than 66 million hectares.

But deforestation and forest fires continue to blight many parts of the country, while revisions to the moratorium have lacked transparency, according to environmental campaigners.

The exemption of secondary forests and patchy law enforcement have hindered the moratorium’s progress, they say.

Forest cover loss in Indonesia remains high, according to the Global Land Analysis and Discovery (GLAD) lab at the University of Maryland.

Peaking in 2012 at 928,000 hectares, forest cover loss dropped to about 500,000 hectares in 2013 before increasing in 2014 and 2015 to 796,500 hectares and 735,000 hectares, respectively, according to GLAD.

Despite this, last year Bakar called for a permanent moratorium on issuing new licenses to use land designated as primary forest and peatland.

The post Indonesia Environment Minister Rebuffs Groups Who Want More Forest Preserved appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Ten Things to Do in Yangon This Week

Posted: 23 Apr 2018 10:15 PM PDT

3 Concerts in 1

Celebrated singers Zaw Paing, Tun Eindra Bo and Wai La will perform in separate solo concerts.

May 1, 7 p.m. Thuwunnabhumi Event Park. For tickets call 09-977009157 or 09-455573442.

Than Naing Solo Concert

Than Naing, from the band Playboys, will perform a solo show.

April 28, 8:30 p.m. Yangon Yangon Bar, Sakura Tower, Kyauktada Township. Tickets are 12,000 kyats.

Hla Myint Maung Solo Exhibit

Artist Hla Myint Maung holds his third solo exhibition featuring his abstract paintings.

Until April 24. OK Art Gallery, along the north wing of Aung San Stadium.

Childhood Memories

Contemporary paintings of traditional Myanmar toys will be displayed.

Until April 27. Nawaday Tharlar Art Gallery, on Yaw Min Gyi Street.

Footprints of Suffering

Artist Nay Chi will have her first solo show.

April 24 to 30. Eternal Art Gallery, at Yuzana Garden City.

Fab 69

DJs C-Thu and Mike will perform for same-sex lovers.

April 28, 10 p.m. Pyrite Bar, near Inya Lake Hotel. Admission is 5,000 kyats.

Clean Yangon Green Yangon

Anyone can join the 11th gathering by wearing green.

April 28, 8 a.m. Participants will meet in front of Craft Café, at the corner of Nawaday Street and Bo Yar Nyunt Street.

Yangon Book Street

About 100 stalls selling many types of books at reasonable prices, courtesy of the Information Ministry’s literary development program.

Every weekend. Theinbyu Road.

Furniture Fair

A special New Year edition of the Yangon International Lifestyle Furniture Fair, with participation from branded furniture marts.

April 26 to 30. Tatmadaw Convention Center, on U Wisara Road.

Myanmar Book Plaza

Readers can relive their childhood memories with the rare comic books on sale.

Every Day. Thanzay Plaza.

The post Ten Things to Do in Yangon This Week appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Some US Allies Caught in Crossfire of Sanctions on Russian Arms

Posted: 23 Apr 2018 09:51 PM PDT

NEW DELHI — US sanctions on Russian military exports have put the brakes on a $6 billion deal with India and may derail the arms purchases of other US allies around Asia, experts say.

Under a law that US President Donald Trump signed in August, any country trading with Russia’s defense and intelligence sectors will face sanctions.

The law is designed to punish Russian President Vladimir Putin for the 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, involvement in the Syrian civil war and meddling in the 2016 US presidential election.

But American allies who buy weapons and equipment from Russia, the world’s second-largest arms exporter, could suffer as well.

The highest-profile example is India, which wants to buy five S-400 long-range surface-to-air missile systems that the country’s military sees as a game changer. The systems are touted as being able to counter the ballistic missiles and stealth aircraft that China is developing, while overwhelming the capabilities of Pakistan, India’s other main adversary.

The deal, which Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi struck as part of an inter-government agreement in 2016, has run headlong into the US sanctions law, two officials in Delhi said.

Indonesia and Vietnam also buy weapons from Russia while being regional partners of the United States. Jakarta closed a $1.14 billion pact for Sukhoi fighters recently, while Vietnam is seeking more jet fighter-bombers from Russia.

And with both Almaz-Antey Air and Space Defense Corporation, which makes the S-400, and Rosoboronexport, which negotiates Russian export deals, listed as under sanction, those deals have become trickier.

“The optics of a major arms purchase from Russia looks quite ‘iffy’ from the point of view of Western capitals, especially at a time when Russia-West relations are at an all-time low and India seeks strategic convergence with the West, including with the US” said Abhijnan Rej, a defense strategy expert at Observer Research Foundation, a New Delhi think tank.

The US-led airstrikes this month against facilities of the Syrian government, an ally of Russia, has further aggravated tensions between the superpowers.

A Russian source close to the Indian S-400 deal said “a lot will depend on the confidence and sanity of our Indian partners.”

Wider Impact

The effects of the US sanctions law could be more sweeping than intended, said Cara Abercrombie, a visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Vietnam, whose air force flies Russian-made Su-30 fighters and uses the S-300 air defense system, wants to continue modernizing its inventory.

Vietnamese military scholar Carl Thayer said he believed Moscow was still pushing Hanoi to invest in state-of-the-art S-400 missile defenses as part of its long-term military plans.

“I think it is clear that Russia is still pressing Vietnam for big deals,” Thayer said, noting that the two countries already have had reciprocal visits by defense ministers this year. But with the United States working hard to promote sales of American military hardware, and sanctions against Russia’s exporting agencies, Vietnam’s plans could prove overly costly.

Indonesia, meanwhile, said the delivery of the first couple of Sukhoi Su-35 jets out of a total of 11 is on track for this year. Officials said that so far they did not anticipate any changes to the deal with the Russians.

Indonesian defense officials declined to describe what, if anything, they might do to tackle the fallout of the sanctions imposed on Russian arms sales.

A Thorny Problem

Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale and Defense Secretary Sanjay Mitra held discussions with US officials in Washington last month to try to find a solution, a second Indian official said.

The issue is crucial to the Indian military, because without Russian parts, supplies and maintenance help, “our ships won't sail, our planes won't fly,” the official said. “We can hardly be the regional security provider that America wants us to be at this rate.”

One way to avoid secondary sanctions would be if the US determines that India is reducing its dependence on Russian arms, said Atman Trivedi, managing director of Hills & Company, a Washington-based firm that advises on international trade and investment.

Russian hardware represented 62 percent of the country’s total weapons imports during the past five years, compared with 79 percent in 2008-2012, the Stockholm Peace Research Institute said in a report last month.

The US administration could also declare that imposing sanctions on India, a major defense partner, would hurt US national security interests. That would allow a waiver permitting India to do business with Russia.

The United States has emerged as India’s No. 2 weapons supplier, closing $15 billion worth of deals over the last decade. Now Lockheed Martin and Boeing are leading the race to provide India with a fleet of new fighter-bombers, one of the world’s largest open tenders.

“The intent of the legislation was never to disrupt US-India defense relations, which Congress has repeatedly recognized in law as a strategic priority to the US,” said Benjamin Schwartz, aerospace and defense head at United States India Business Council.

Abercrombie of Carnegie added that if Congress grants waivers to India, it may also need to do so for other countries such as Vietnam and Indonesia.

“The bottom line: India warrants an exemption from these secondary sanctions, as does any country with which the US is forging new and strategically important defense relations,” she said.

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N. Korean Leader Visits Chinese Embassy, Hospital After Fatal Bus Crash

Posted: 23 Apr 2018 09:43 PM PDT

SEOUL — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited the Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang on Monday to express “deep sympathy” over a bus accident that killed 32 Chinese tourists and critically injured two, the North’s state media said on Tuesday.

“He said that the unexpected accident brought bitter sorrow to his heart and that he couldn’t control his grief at the thought of the bereaved families who lost their blood relatives,” the North’s central news agency said.

The accident occurred on Sunday when a bus crashed off a bridge in North Hwanghae Province. Four North Koreans were also killed in the accident.

China is North Korea’s most important economic and diplomatic backer, although Beijing has been angered by Pyongyang’s numerous missile and nuclear tests.

Chinese Ambassador to North Korea Li Jinjun said Chinese President Xi Jinping and the families of the crash victims would be notified of Kim’s visit, while promising close cooperation with North Korean officials regarding the accident, the central news agency reported.

Kim also visited the hospital where the injured were being treated, the report said, adding that he “personally learned about the treatment of the wounded.”

The North Korean leader was cited as saying the North’s party and government would take follow-up measures to the accident “with utmost sincerity in a mind to alleviate the pain of the bereaved families even a bit.”

Chinese tourists make up about 80 percent of all foreign visitors to North Korea, says a South Korean think-tank, the Korea Maritime Institute, which estimates that tourism generates annual revenue of about $44 million for the isolated country.

Bilateral ties between the North and China showed signs of warming after Kim Jong Un made a surprise visit to Beijing in March, where he met with Xi Jinping and pledged to work towards denuclearizing the Korean peninsula.

The post N. Korean Leader Visits Chinese Embassy, Hospital After Fatal Bus Crash appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Indonesian Motorcycle Taxi Drivers Protest Low Online Tariffs

Posted: 23 Apr 2018 09:37 PM PDT

JAKARTA — Hundreds of Indonesian motorcycle taxi drivers working for start-ups Grab and Go-Jek called on Monday for an end to low online fares and demanded tighter regulation of ride-hailing companies.

Around 1,500 drivers – wearing the green jackets and helmets associated with Singapore-based Grab and Indonesia’s Go-Jek – briefly disrupted traffic outside parliament in the capital Jakarta.

“There must be legal and social protection for online ‘ojek’ drivers as part of the national workforce,” a group of drivers for both companies said in a statement that used the Indonesian word for motorcycle taxi.

Startups like Grab and Go-Jek have been locked in price wars to capture market share in Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s biggest economy. The firms have slashed prices for car rides, motorcycle trips and a raft of other services.

The transport ministry moved last month to classify Grab and Go-Jek as transportation instead of technology companies. That means they would be subject to the same regulations as regular taxi and bus companies and could potentially face higher costs and scrutiny.

But there were no plans yet to apply the regulations to motorcycle taxis, said Budi Setyadi, director general of land transportation at the transport ministry.

“With regard to tariffs, it depends on the goodwill of the companies,” Setyadi told Reuters on Monday.

The drivers said on Monday they want a standard fare of 3,000 to 4,000 rupiah (22 cents to 29 cents) per kilometer.

Both Grab and Go-Jek have yet to make significant changes to their tariff structure.

Grab has said it preferred to maintain current rates because "Grab has other programs to improve the livelihood of its drivers."

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Monday, April 23, 2018

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5 Charged With Murder Following Fatal Beating of Obo Prison Inmate

Posted: 23 Apr 2018 07:15 AM PDT

Mandalay – Authorities at Obo Central Prison in Mandalay have filed criminal charges against five inmates over the death of a fellow prisoner in Cellblock No. 3 on Saturday.

Ko Kyaw Myo Thu, who was being held on a non-bailable charge of trespassing, was found dead on Saturday after the five inmates allegedly beat him to death.

According to prison authorities, the incident was triggered by a dispute between Ko Kyaw Myo Thu and another inmate, Ko Sithu Aung, over a right of passage within the crowded cellblock. Four of Ko Sithu Aung's friends also joined in the attack on Ko Kyaw Myo Thu, according to the charges.

"Prison authorities arrived quickly, however Ko Kyaw Myo Thu died on the way to the hospital," said a prison officer who asked not to be identified. "We are taking action based on prison rules, as well as filing murder charges at the police station against the five inmates."

The prison authorities said that Ko Sithu Aung and the four other suspects also attacked prison officials. All five are currently being held in an isolation unit. The murder charges were filed at Mandalay's No.2 police station.

Ko Sithu Aung and the four others were originally jailed on charges under Myanmar's anti-narcotics law.

"The responsible prison officers for Block No. 3 will also be punished according to prison rules for not being able to stop the fight," the senior prison official added.

According to the family of Ko Kyaw Myo Thu, who had been detained for about three months as he waited for his trial to be concluded, he was about to be released by the court.

"We are very sad because he was going to be free soon as the trial was nearly finished. Now we just want justice," said Ma Lei Lei Moe, the murdered man's wife.

Since Obo prison and many other jails across the country are overcrowded, disputes between inmates over places to live are common, although cases of inmates being beaten to death are quite uncommon.

The capacity of Obo prison is around 4,000. However, there are currently 7,000 inmates being held in the jail.

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Wife Of ‘Scapegoat’ Police Officer in Reuters Trial Appeals for Help

Posted: 23 Apr 2018 04:37 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW & MANDALAY — The wife of a police officer who told a court that police had entrapped two Reuters reporters said her husband was a "scapegoat" and appealed for help from President Win Myint and State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

During a press conference in Mandalay on Sunday, Daw Tu called for justice for her husband, Police Captain Moe Yan Naing, saying her husband was "innocent."

As a prosecution witness, the police officer testified on Friday that the police had set up Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, while providing details about the Dec. 12 arrest.

Moe Yan Naing also revealed that the "trap" was masterminded by Police Brig-Gen Tin Ko Ko.

The police captain has been detained since December last year for his interaction with the reporters, who were working on a Reuters investigation into the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men and boys in a village in Rakhine state. The reporters were arrested under the colonial-era Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.

"My husband didn't give any documents to them (Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo). Brig-Gen Tin Ko Ko scapegoated my husband," Daw Tu Tu told the reporters in Mandalay on Sunday. "He is innocent."

Following the police captain's testimony, authorities on Saturday ordered the family to move out of a police housing complex where Daw Tu and one of their young daughters were living.

"I don't know where to go now," Daw Tu told an Irrawaddy reporter on Saturday after she received the eviction notice.

The eviction order went viral online, generating an angry reaction and public condemnation of the police action. Police spokesman Myo Thu Soe told the media on the same day that the family had to leave as they had overstayed their tenancy since March. But he didn't explain why the eviction was enforced right after Moe Yang Naing's testimony on Friday.

On Sunday, the unemployed woman told the media that her family has had to rely on relatives to survive as her husband hasn't received his salary since being detained.

"We haven't got his salary for four months. His salary is the only income we have to live on," she said. The couple has three children; the eldest is a university student.

After Moe Yan Naing's revelation of a police set-up and the alleged involvement of Brig-Gen Tin Ko Ko during the court hearing on Friday, the plaintiff's lawyer submitted a motion seeking to have the police captain declared a 'hostile witness.'

The court will decide whether to accept the motion on Wednesday.

For now, Daw Tu said all could she do was appeal to the country's top political leadership for help.

"Mr. President, State Counselor, please don't let us down. We are helpless," she said on Sunday.

The Irrawaddy reporters Htet Naing Zaw contributed to this report from Naypyitaw and photojournalist Zaw Zaw from Mandalay.

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Tatmadaw Pushes Back KIA Battalions in Kachin State, Alliance Says

Posted: 23 Apr 2018 04:30 AM PDT

YANGON — The Myanmar military, or Tatmadaw, pushed back two battalions of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) based in southern Kachin State on Friday and Saturday, according to the Northern Alliance.

In a message posted to its Facebook page on Saturday, the alliance of four ethnic armed groups said the withdrawn KIA forces included Battalion 11, under Brigade 2, and Battalion 26, under Brigade 8.

"They were shooting their big artillery at Battalion 11 nonstop. They even shot at Ka Sung village, where there are 1,000 people, and which is near our base. We did not want the local people to be harmed, so we withdrew from our base," the report said.

The Tatmadaw’s latest offensive started on April 11 and shows little sign of letting up, employing a combination of ground forces, shelling and air strikes. Residents of Lashio Township, across the border from Kachin in Shan State, said some 60 truckloads of Tatmadaw troops arrived on Sunday.

The alliance claimed that the Tatmadaw on Friday also fired 30 artillery shells at Brigade 5, located near the town of Laiza in KIA-controlled territory, and another 17 at Brigade 3, near a camp for families displaced by the fighting in northern Shan.

None of the members of the Northern Alliance have signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement with the government and military. And except for the KIA, all have been excluded from participating in the national peace process.

About 1,000 ethnic Kachin displaced by the latest fighting have arrived in Kachin State’s Namti Township in several waves since Saturday, according to the Kachin Baptist Convention, which is sheltering them in a local church.

"We were all worried that we were trapped in the middle of the fighting, so we fled our village," said La Jawng, who fled his home in Mogaung Township.

The Irrawaddy’s Nan Lwin Hnin Pwint contributed reporting to this story.

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Tatmadaw Troops Protecting Shan State Mine ‘Pose Human Rights Threat’

Posted: 23 Apr 2018 04:10 AM PDT

CHIANG MAI, Thailand — The presence of Myanmar Army (or Tatmadaw) troops in eastern Shan State to protect a mining project has led to human rights abuses against civilians, according to the Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF), citing the recent alleged rape of an elderly woman by a soldier in Monghpyak town.

On the morning of April 2, the 73-year-old woman from Wan Huay village in Monghpyak was found lying on the ground with her sarong torn from her, with injuries to her head, including her ears, from which earrings worth about 150,000 kyats (US$115) had been ripped.

The old woman was hospitalized at Keng Tung Hospital and later transferred to Monghpyak Military Hospital, but three weeks after the attack she remains unable to talk or walk, according to Sai Tip Yee, Wan Huay village administrator.

The family filed a case at Monghpyak police station, but police have only filed a case of slashing and robbery, not rape, partly because the old woman is still weak and unable to talk about what happened on that morning, Sai Tip Yee told The Irrawaddy on Monday.

Police detained the alleged perpetrator, Private Nay Myo Thu, on the same day, but he was later transferred to military custody, so the case is no longer under civilian jurisdiction, said SHRF spokesman Sai Hor Hseng.

"We heard from the military that he [Private Nay Myo Thu] will be brought to the military court and they will take responsibility for this case, but we want him to stand trial in the civilian court in order to ensure justice for the victim," he said.

Shan rights advocate Sai Hor Hseng added that they "want justice for the victim and to end this sexual violence, because it is very dangerous for the public, especially women."

Such cases are not uncommon. In a case documented by the SHRF in 2015, a soldier accused of rape in Tachilek was transferred back to his base in Monghpyak and there was no further news of whether he would face legal action.

In a separate case in April 2015, an elderly Kachin woman, also 73, from Kachin State’s Momauk Township was the victim of an attempted rape by a Myanmar Army soldier, who was later sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment for trespassing, illegal drug use and violating the military’s code of conduct. She died a year later in June 2016, without ever receiving justice for the sexual assault, despite a civilian court having accepted her case, according to a report by the Kachin Women’s Association Thailand.

The SHRF said military impunity for sexual violence "must end," describing it as a threat to women nationwide. "SHRF therefore welcomes the new report by the UN Secretary General on conflict-related sexual violence, which blacklists the [Tatmadaw] for being 'credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of rape,'" the organization said in a statement Monday.

The militarization of Shan State has increased despite the ethnic Shan armed groups, such as the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army-South and the Shan State Progressive Party /Shan State Army-North, signing bilateral ceasefires with the government in 2012, and the former being a signatory to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement.

In Monghpyak town alone, there are about 1,000 Tatmadaw troops stationed. The town has a population of about 6,000.

"Such a large military-civilian ratio is a constant source of fear for local residents, particularly women, given the ongoing military impunity for sexual violence," the SHRF statement reads.

According to Sai Hor Hseng, the huge military presence in the ethnic areas, especially in areas with ongoing conflicts, is partly to protect natural resources extraction companies, including Australian-run Access Asia Mining. The companies seek protection from the military for security, but it has a large impact on local residents.

Access Asia Mining plans a 150,000-acre gold-mining venture in Monghpyak. It is awaiting final approval from the Shan State government, SHRF said.

"We would like the company and army troops to withdraw from the areas," Sai Hor Hseng said, adding that when giant companies enter the areas to conduct business, the military takes responsibility for their security, and the arrangement has high social and environmental costs.

The post Tatmadaw Troops Protecting Shan State Mine 'Pose Human Rights Threat' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Two Elephant Poachers Detained in Chaungtha Forest Reserve

Posted: 23 Apr 2018 03:40 AM PDT

Two suspected poachers were detained by a combined team of authorities after an elephant carcass and weapons used for poaching were discovered in Chaungtha Forest Reserve near Ngwesaung Beach, Pathein Township in Irrawaddy Region on Sunday afternoon.

After receiving a tip-off about an elephant carcass, authorities questioned two suspects from Thitphyu Village, leading to the discovery of the carcass and weapons used in hunting the elephant.

"We have detained two suspected poachers and seized the elephant carcass, its removed skin, firearms and poisoned arrows. Four people were involved in the poaching but two of them managed to escape. The police are trying to arrest the escapees. The Forest Department will formally charge them for poaching," Police Lieutenant Colonel Khin Maung Latt told the Irrawaddy.

The combined team of the local police, forest rangers and officials from the Forestry Department detained the two suspected poachers, Ko Htwe, known as Thaung Aye, and Nga Du, known as Chit Min Naing, together with two firearms, arrows, bottles of poison, gunpowder, knives, axes, elephant skin and flesh.

"Local people reported to the authorities that they had discovered an elephant carcass. When the team arrived at the village, the carcass had already been hidden. So, the team questioned the two suspected poachers who lived nearest to the scene. The two admitted poaching the elephant and showed the police the carcass, its skin and weapons," said Dr. Lin Lin Tun, leader of a local elephant conservation group.

The two suspected poachers have been detained at Ngwesaung Police Station and will be charged under Section 37 (a) of the Protection of Wildlife Act.

Poachers killed about 40 wild elephants, which were searching for food in Pathein, Ngapudaw and Thabaung during the period from 2011 to 2017, according to the Pathein Township Police Force.

Translated from Burmese by Myint Win Thein.

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UN Security Council to Make a Two-Day Visit to Myanmar

Posted: 23 Apr 2018 03:27 AM PDT

A team of 15 permanent representatives from the 15 members of the United Nations Security Council will visit Myanmar for two days early next month after being invited to examine the situation in Rakhine State by the Myanmar government.

During the two-day visit, the team will meet with the chairperson of the Union Enterprise for Humanitarian Assistance, Resettlement and Development in Rakhine (UEHRD) State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and officials in Naypyitaw before visiting Rakhine State, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs U Myint Thu told the Irrawaddy.

"The team will spend one day in Naypyitaw and will stay in Rakhine State another day. It has been a long time since they requested to visit Myanmar. The government invited them as a form of cooperation with the United Nations. We have sent our invitation through the permanent representative of Myanmar at the UN," said U Myint Thu.

The security council delegation will leave New York for Bangladesh on April 26 before concluding their visit to Myanmar on May 2.

Ambassadors from five neighboring countries of Myanmar, permanent member states of the UN Security Council and the ambassador of Singapore to Myanmar, as the current ASEAN chair, will also be invited to join the trip.

"We will explain what we have been doing to repatriate refugees. Dr. Win Myat Aye will clarify the details of UEHRD's arrangements for repatriation," he added.

Some news sources suggested to the Irrawaddy that the security council delegation was invited to Myanmar as China and Russia advised Myanmar to do so.

Although inviting members of the security council to Rakhine State could alleviate international criticism against the government for lack of transparency and media freedom, it is important to be prepared for consequences if Myanmar fails to meet their expectations, said Daw Pyone Kay Thi Naing, a member of the Lower House international relations committee.

"Inviting an important international body is an effective method. It might produce good outcomes as well as bad ones. Those who are responsible for tackling the problem should be prepared," she said.

Chief Minister of Rakhine State U Nyi Pu said that his government has arranged transportation and security for the delegates.

The Myanmar government has faced international criticisms for the exodus of Muslim refugees and human right abuses by security forces.

Translated from Burmese by Myint Win Thein.

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Staycation Culture Booms in Myanmar

Posted: 23 Apr 2018 02:19 AM PDT

The 'staycation' trend is booming in Myanmar and continues to grow in popularity.

Also known as a 'holistay' or 'daycation,' the fad took off in 2016 and 2017 in the country.

People are choosing staycations after intense periods of work or when they want to take a vacation but don't have time to travel. People take a day trip to see the city's sights and then stay overnight at a hotel, which allows them to relax in luxury with less planning, less travel and less stress.

"In other countries, there are staycation activities but in Myanmar, most people just see it as staying in a hotel in their town for a mini vacation," said Ma Thinzar Myat Mon, an assistant director of marketing and communications for the Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake.

Guests having a meal at the Novotel Yangon Max hotel restaurant. / Novotel Yangon Max

She added that staycations are most suitable for people who want to spend holidays in their towns or nearby cities with family or friends, especially on weekends on public holidays.

Generally, these types of guests spend the day relaxing by the pool, and using the gym, spa and other hotel amenities.

"Whether they want to relax by the pool or somewhere with a good view, read a book, chat with friends or play with their children, hotels are the best venues for staycations," Ma Thinzar Myat Mon said.

Deluxe room at the Novotel Yangon Max. / Novotel Yangon Max

The Chatrium Hotel began running vacation deals years ago for summer holiday, Thingyan and New Years. These deals appealed to both foreign and domestic travelers.

Currently, the Chatrium Hotel is offering a Summer Staycation package for USD$100 per room per night for 2 people including breakfast and complimentary use of the fitness center and swimming pool, plus other deals like 20 percent off spa services and 15 percent off at restaurants and bars.

Those choosing to stay two nights also receive a complimentary lunch or dinner at the hotel," said Ma Thinzar Myat Mon.

According to her, customers include a range of locals and foreigners, families and friends.

A guest relaxes at the Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Hotel’s pool. / Chatrium Hotel

The Chatrium's Summer Staycation package is open to all Myanmar citizens, FRC holders, expatriates and permanent residents and it is valid until May 10, 2018.

The Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake is one of Myanmar's leading hotels, located on Nat Mauk Street in Yangon's Tamwe Township.

Ma Joanna Yu, the marketing coordinator of another top luxury hotel the Novotel Yangon Max, said staycations benefit both the hotels and guests. Hotels see increased occupancy and guests received bundled packages with additional services at affordable prices.

The Novotel Yangon Max offers a staycation package that includes accommodation and breakfast for a family (two adults and two kids under 16 years old), available on weekends. The package runs from May 1 until Oct. 31 for $149 per night.

A deluxe room with a lake view at the Chatrium Royal Lake Hotel. / Chatrium Hotel

During Thingyan, the Novotel offered a discounted rate of $111, which many local families took advantage of, said Ma Joanna Yu.

Many locals with busy work schedules take advantage of these deals.

"I love staycation culture as a busy worker. I don't always have time to take a trip because of my schedule. So, my friends and I will get together and take advantage of hotel staycation deals," said 28-year-old Ma Thandar.

She added that she enjoyed that staycations don't require much planning, packing or preparation. She recently had a staycation with friends at the Sedona Hotel.

"We will do it again. Traveling somewhere new is better if possible, but a staycation with friends is also fun," Ma Thandar said.

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India’s Modi to Visit China This Week as Rapprochement Gathers Pace

Posted: 22 Apr 2018 09:10 PM PDT

BEIJING — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit China this week for an informal meeting with President Xi Jinping, as efforts at rapprochement gather pace following a testing year in ties between the two giant neighbors.

The Chinese government’s top diplomat, State Councillor Wang Yi, said the two would meet on Friday and Saturday in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.

“Our common interests far outweigh our differences. The two countries have no choice other than pursuing everlasting friendship, mutually beneficial cooperation and common development,” Wang told reporters after meeting Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj in Beijing.

“The summit will go a long way towards deepening the mutual trust between the two great neighbors,” he added. “We will make sure that the informal summit will be a complete success and a new milestone in the history of China-India relations.”

Modi has sought to reset ties after disputes over issues including their disputed border with Tibet and other issues.

The discussion with Wang was to prepare for the informal summit, Swaraj said.

“It will be an important occasion for them (Modi and Xi) to exchange views on bilateral and international matters, from an overarching and long-term perspective with the objective of enhancing mutual communication,” Swaraj said.

The Asian giants were locked in a 73-day military stand-off in a remote, high-altitude stretch of that boundary last year. At one point, soldiers from the two sides threw stones and punches.

The confrontation between the nuclear-armed powers in the Himalayas underscored Indian alarm at China’s expanding security and economic links in South Asia.

China’s ambitious Belt and Road initiative of transport and energy links bypasses India, apart from a corner of the disputed Kashmir region, also claimed by Pakistan, but involves India’s neighbors Sri Lanka, Nepal and the Maldives.

Modi’s previously unannounced Wuhan trip is even more unusual in that he will visit China again in June for a summit in Qingdao of the China and Russia-led security grouping, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which India joined last year.

It is almost unheard of for foreign leaders to visit China twice in such close succession. Xi is also extending Modi the rare honor of a meeting outside of Beijing, which almost never happens unless there is a multilateral summit taking place.

Modi’s nationalist government has reversed course on its relationship with Beijing apparently after realizing its hard line on China was not working.

Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, who lives in India and who China considers a dangerous separatist, is also facing the cold shoulder.

In March, India issued an unprecedented ban on Tibetans holding a rally with the Dalai Lama in New Delhi to mark the 60th anniversary of the start of the failed uprising against Chinese rule.

Other areas of disagreement remain however between Beijing and New Delhi.

China has blocked India’s membership of a nuclear cartel and it has also been blocking UN sanctions against a Pakistan-based militant leader blamed for attacks on India.

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In the Driver’s Seat: Seoul’s Peace Initiative Pays Off

Posted: 22 Apr 2018 07:24 PM PDT

As Myanmar ushers in a New Year with golden padauk in bloom, Korea is full of cherry blossoms signaling that spring has arrived. This time of year is one of the most beautiful and flowery seasons in Seoul. But this year is particularly special. A historic inter-Korean summit is taking place on April 27. This is the third such summit in history, with the most recent taking place 11 years ago in 2007. It is significant in many ways and it bears resemblance to Myanmar's noble endeavors for peace as well.

Recent developments in the Korean peninsula are remarkable. Just a year ago, tensions were high, to the point that there was speculation about another Korean war.

Immediately after assuming office last May, the government of the Republic of Korea under the new leadership of President Moon Jae-in undertook a peace initiative. The government did its utmost to ease tension and create an atmosphere of peace on the peninsula. At the center was the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games, where South and North Korean athletes marched together at the opening ceremony under the same flag, symbolizing a unified Korea. The two Koreas formed a unified women's ice hockey team, which touched the hearts and minds of the people across the world. It was indeed an exhibition of the unique power of sports. In a sense, it also resonates with the "collective strength and united endeavor" echoed by the Myanmar government in its quest for greater unity in the Union.

The Korean government's peace effort is anchored in its unswerving conviction that there cannot be another war on the peninsula and that the Korean people should be the architects of its destiny. The upcoming inter-Korean summit will be held at Panmunjeom located within the demilitarized zone. The selection of venue is quite meaningful as Panmunjeom symbolizes the fact that Korea remains divided and it is still technically at war. This cross-border meeting will be a culmination of the Korean government's fearless efforts to open a new chapter for peace and stability on the peninsula. It will mark a significant turning point for building trust between the two Koreas. Likewise, for Myanmar's peace process, confidence building among ethnic minority groups is essential for the success of the 21st Century Panglong peace conference.

Seoul has also taken painstaking efforts to bring key partners on board. The inter-Korean summit will be followed by a summit between Washington and Pyongyang. We hope that it will mark another meaningful step toward the establishment of peace on the Korean peninsula. Moreover, it could provide an unprecedented opportunity for denuclearization of the peninsula. In this regard, recent high-level communications among the six parties, including the United States, China, Japan and Russia, are encouraging. To resolve the nuclear conundrum on the Korean peninsula, we need strong support from the international community as a whole. For Myanmar, international support is also important for its peace process, especially as it commemorates its 70th year of independence.

We sincerely hope that Korea's tireless efforts to realize permanent peace on the Korean peninsula and to improve inter-Korean relations will bear fruit in the near future. A denuclearized North Korea will lead to peace and prosperity not only on the Korean Peninsula but throughout the region at large. In turn, it will be a milestone event for the international non-proliferation regime as well. This is why the international community should encourage and support the upcoming inter-Korean summit.

Mr. Lee Sang-hwa is the South Korean Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Myanmar.

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Employment Project Supports Rehabilitated Drug Users

Posted: 22 Apr 2018 05:59 PM PDT

It was 2003 when Reverend Zau Tawng realized that most of his students from bible studies in Hpakant were using drugs. It saddened him to realize that the drug problems in his Kachin State homeland were as serious as the jade mining disasters, ongoing conflicts with ethnic armed groups, and internally displaced persons forced to flee their homes.

Clueless but eager to save young addicts, he tried operating a rehabilitation center in his hometown Mohnyin but drugs were easily accessible inside the rehab compound and the center was not a success. Realizing that Kachin State was not the right place for his venture, he moved to Yangon and bought four acres of land in Hlegu where he then founded the Harvest Rehabilitation Center in 2012.

"I empathize with the pressure and anxiety that the parents of addicts have to endure. That's why I decided to help them," said Zau Tawng. Since its opening in 2012, the center has housed 242 addicts mostly from Kachin and Shan states, reporting that some 75 percent of them do not relapse after leaving the facility.

Harvest students at an outdoor excursion. / Harvest Rehabilitation Center

Only accepting those who voluntarily enter the rehab process, Harvest Center operates as an abstinence-based residential program that offers sports, music, spiritual studies and therapy, not only to recover from addiction but to promote overall physical and mental well-being.

The Harvest Center welcomes drug addicts of any ethnicity and from any part of the country, as long as they are ready to close that chapter of their lives.

The center generally does not accept newcomers from June to October during its intensive withdrawal period. If addicts are ready to leave the facility, they travel around the country and share their recovery stories in November and December. But life after rehab is uncertain for many, who without jobs and stability face the possibility of relapse.

Zau Tawng was joined by his son Zaw Tu Hkawng, who had experience working in the health sector prior to the center opening. Zaw Tu Hkawng now manages programs for rehabilitated participants. After visiting rehab centers in New Zealand with the Myanmar Young Leaders program in 2017, he learned that employers were often hesitant to hire former drug users – not because they had bad experiences with them but because of a social stigma that painted them as an unreliable workforce. Zaw Tu Hkawng faced the same reaction when reaching out to small hotels and other businesses in the hospitality industry.

"I want to prove to employers that these rehabilitated men deserve a new start and that they can be responsible workers," he said.

With a strong desire to create job opportunities for his mentees from Harvest, he designed a program to help former drug users get job training called "Nurturing Rehabilitated Users for Employment," funded by international non-governmental group UnionAID of New Zealand. The program connects business owners who want to help their communities and rehabilitated young men who are seeking vocational training to move forward in their lives.

Of the 24 mentees who are currently living at Harvest, nine of them spent nearly two months at four different businesses receiving onsite training. Three of them worked at a bakery, two worked at a car repair shop, two at a video production business and two at pig farms from January 25 to March 12, 2018, six days a week. With daily reflections and reports from respective employers, the nine Harvest mentees successfully finished their training with support, encouragement and appreciation from employers and coworkers.

Naw San Min Thu, the owner of Orison Frozen Food and one of the employers, wanted her small bakery to be a responsible business. Having reminded her employees to be friendly and kind to the mentees before their arrival, she reminisced about the first day of job training.

Drug-free Harvest students at Orison bakery for the employment program. / Harvest Rehabilitation Center

"It was more of an excitement to meet these drug-free young men than worrying about them not getting along with my employees," she said. Although there were some awkward moments at first, her three mentees and coworkers got along well and became friends throughout the program.

Although the employment program ended, Naw San Min Thu offered permanent employment for her mentees to continue their work at Orison after noting their strong will to improve their lives.

"The three mentees were determined to make their lives better and I am very honored to be part of their journeys," she proudly said.

La Ja Aung, 36, went to Harvest nearly a year ago when he realized that continuing to use drugs would bring embarrassment and burden to his family as well as a possible end to his life. Withdrawal was difficult for him but he was committed.

After being trained and supported by Orison's familial work environment, La Ja Aung now dreams of owning a small bakery.

"A bakery is doable for a small family. I could also distribute baked goods from Orison as an alternative," he said. He hopes to earn a stable income and create a stable life for his family.

Students enjoying sports therapy at the Harvest center compound in Hlegu. / Harvest Rehabilitation Center

After managing a successful employment program, the father-son duo has bigger dreams and better plans to serve unprivileged youth in the country. So far running on donations and grants, Reverend Zau Tawng wants to make Harvest Rehab Center a sustainable institution that offers diplomas and degrees to its students in the future, and Zaw Tu Hkawng is ready to strategically implement his father's dream.

Despite big plans for the future, accommodations at the Harvest center are in need of an upgrade before the monsoon rains come. Reverend Zau Tawng is hopeful despite having a limited budget.

"We don't have enough to upgrade the entire building now but I believe we'll figure something out before the rainy season," said the reverend.

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