Wednesday, May 16, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Myanmar Tells UN to Investigate ARSA at Security Council Meeting

Posted: 16 May 2018 08:06 AM PDT

YANGON — Myanmar’s ambassador to the United Nations on Monday urged the UN Security Council to investigate the “atrocities” of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) against civilians while Western nations continued pressing Myanmar to cooperate in a credible probe into last year’s violence in Rakhine State.

The remarks came at a Security Council briefing in New York and followed a Security Council delegation’s visit in early May to Rakhine, where ARSA’s attacks on 30 security posts in late August triggered a sweeping military clearance operation that has driven some 700,000 mostly Rohingya to Bangladesh amid widespread reports of arson, rape and murder by security forces.

The EU and US have imposed targeted sanctions against top military generals in response, while rights groups are urging the UN to help ensure the Rohinyas’ safe return and to refer Myanmar to the International Criminal Court. ARSA had also been calling for international pressure on Myanmar before falling silent in January.

At Monday’s Security Council briefing, representatives from the UK and the Netherlands recalled the widespread destruction of villages they saw in Rakhine and the reports of abuse they heard from Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said it was critical for the Security Council delegates to have learned about the crisis in Rakhine and the challenges facing Rohingya refugees firsthand.  She said one of the reasons for the trip was "the continuing, disheartening response from the Burmese government" and went on to accuse Myanmar authorities of failing to acknowledge their role in the crisis.

"This is unacceptable and unsustainable if we're going to make any progress in ending the violence in Rakhine State. More than that, we must have the will as a council to do something now. Time is not on our side. The monsoon season has already begun and is putting hundreds of thousands of refugees at further risk," she said.

Haley encouraged Myanmar to cooperate in a credible independent investigation into the alleged abuses of its security forces and to lift an entry ban it imposed on the UN’s special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar in December. She also urged Myanmar to respect the basic rights of the Rohingya and made no mention of ARSA’s alleged violence against non-Muslim groups.

In September, residents of Rakhine State’s Maungdaw Township unearthed a mass grave with some 45 bodies of Hindu villagers that were identified by relatives.

At the briefing, Myanmar’s ambassador to the UN, U Hau Do San, echoed the country’s military chief in stating that Myanmar would take action against any army personnel guilty of abuse if presented with solid evidence.

He blamed the current humanitarian crisis on ARSA’s attacks on the security posts in August and accused Western media of pushing "Muslim victimhood narratives" while sidelining the “terrorist” group’s attacks on Rakhine State’s other minorities, including Hindus, Maragmagyi and Mro.

"ARSA must also be held accountable for atrocities committed against civilian populations in Rakhine. Investigation of violations must include cases of terrorist atrocities as well," he said.

U Hau Do San also accused ARSA members of killing Muslims in the Bangladesh refugee camps who were spreading information about the repatriation deal Dhaka and Naypyitaw struck in January. Not a single refugee has been repatriated to date, however, while each government accuses the other of delaying the process.

He complained that during the Security Council delegation’s visit to Maungdaw many non-Muslim locals had come to share accounts of ARSA attacks but only one Arakan and one Hindu woman had time to speak with them.

"Sadly, many tragic stories of the ethnic people in Rakhine have fallen on the deaf ears of some who wanted to listen to only one side of the story of their choice," he said.

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Researchers Urge Adoption of Multilingual Education

Posted: 16 May 2018 07:31 AM PDT

CHIANG MAI, Thailand — Ethnic studies researchers have urged the government to adopt an education policy that incorporates the mother tongue based-multilingual education (MTB-MLE) approach.

In 2012-2013, the government of then President U Thein Sein approved the use of ethnic languages in schools, but the textbooks used are merely translations of the existing Burmese-language curriculum into the respective ethnic languages.

The argument for adopting an MTB-MLE approach in educating Myanmar's ethnically diverse students has steadily gained momentum.

"Government educators have always said it is hard to implement the MTB-MLE approach, as Myanmar has 135 ethnicities. The state government officials we interviewed are not opposed to this teaching method, but expressed concern that implementation would be too complicated for them to handle. We want to show everyone that we can implement such an MTB-MLE system, as has been done at Mon national schools," said Dr. Pon Nya Mon, a deputy executive director of the Ethnic Nationalities Affairs Center (ENAC).

He was referring to the results of a new study by ENAC released last week. In August 2017, ENAC conducted a study at Mon national schools that have been using Mon-language curricula for more than four decades. It documented in detail how the Mon schools operate and shared case studies from schools in India, Switzerland, Papua New Guinea and the U.S.

A classroom at Mon National High School in Arn Din, Ye Township.(Photos: ENAC (supplied) )

ENAC plans to submit its findings to the upcoming third session of the 21st-Century Panglong Union Peace Conference and ask the delegates to incorporate the MTB-MLE system into their social sector policies.

"We hope the delegates to the 21st-Century Panglong will discuss MTB-MLE and take it into consideration when making decisions about the social sector, which includes education. As education policy is not as controversial as security, we don't think it will be hard to pass," said Zo Tum Hmung, the executive director of ENAC.

Moreover, the central government should allow state governments to manage their education budgets, he said.

Mon national schools have been operating under the Mon National Education Committee of the New Mon State Party (NMSP) since 1972. Some schools were integrated into the public school curriculum after the NMSP signed a ceasefire with the military government in 1995.

Mon schools currently use an integrated curriculum. More than 130 Mon National Schools focus mainly on Mon language (100 percent) at the primary level, and then reduce this to 60 percent in the middle school (early secondary) curriculum and 20 percent for high school (Grades 9-10). From the secondary level the curriculum integrates Mon and Bamar, the official language, to prepare the students to take the government's matriculation exam in Grade 10.

At mixed-language schools, Mon literature is taught. There are 92 schools currently using this system.

Children sit in front of Mon National Middle School in Ye Township's Tamawkanin village.(Photos: ENAC (supplied) )

However, at government schools, Mon, like all ethnic language classes, is taught only outside of the schools' official hours.

Ethnic language teachers have raised concerns about the difficulty of teaching translated textbooks, which they say do not reflect the respective minority ethnic groups' cultures.

Integrating two languages is more effective than using translated textbooks, explained Dr. Pon Nya Mon. But he added, "These ethnic language classes are still not being taught during the schools' regular timetables. Teaching outside of school hours is not practical; we can integrate the curriculum and there are ways to do it."

The researchers insisted that there are many bilingual teachers who can speak both Bamar and their own languages, be it Mon, Karen, Kayah or other languages. The Mon curriculum was prepared for government schools in 2016. Other minority-language curricula are in the drafting process, though they are not yet integrated as Mon has been.

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Minimum Wage Hike Only a First Step, Labor Activists Say

Posted: 16 May 2018 06:28 AM PDT

YANGON — As Myanmar's new daily minimum wage of 4,800 kyats (USD3.50) takes effect, labor-rights advocates are emphasizing that further steps are needed, including monitoring to ensure that workers are actually being paid the full amount, and that their basic needs are being met.

Monday's increase was the first since the country introduced a minimum wage of 3,600 kyats ($2.65) in September 2015. However, a lack of proper enforcement mechanisms means many people are still working for below minimum wage, more than two-and-a-half years after the law was passed, said Daw Khaing Zar Aung, a member of the Confederation of Trade Unions Myanmar (CTUM)'s executive committee.

The confederation is currently assisting two groups of workers totaling about 200 people in two factories who are still not being paid the minimum wage, she said.

"It is important to make sure all employees get paid the minimum wage of 4,800 kyats," she said.

Daw Khaing Zar Aung added that public forums need to be conducted in other states and regions in order to raise awareness about the minimum wage, along with monitoring and follow-up work.

The new rate of 4,800 kyats took effect Monday, according to an announcement by the National Committee for Designating Minimum Wages. The committee said the rate for an eight-hour working day would not apply to small, family-run businesses that employ fewer than 10 people.

The rate was decided in March after a long period of consultation. It faced objections from both workers and employers, with most workers demanding an average minimum wage of 5,600 kyats and employers unwilling to pay more than 4,000 kyats.

Daw Hla Hla, an executive member of the All Myanmar Trade Union, said 4,800 kyats is not sufficient to cover the daily living costs of workers.

Workers eat dinner at Thiri Mingalar market in Yangon in November 2015. (Photo: Reuters)

The country's Minimum Wage Law states that the wage must meet the essential needs of workers and their families, but the current rate isn't even sufficient for one person to survive on, let alone their families, she said.

The All Myanmar Trade Union has called for a minimum wage of 5,600 kyats since 2015, said Daw Hla Hla.

CTUM's Daw Khaing Zar Aung, who is also a member of the National Committee for Designating Minimum Wages, said she wasn't satisfied with the 4,800-kyats rate, either.

The committee comprises economists, officials from concerned ministries and representatives of labor and employer groups.

She said the committee was unable to properly surveys workers' living costs in states and divisions due to time constraints. As a result, some of the survey results do not accurately reflect the workers' real cost of living, she added.

The group advised the committee to conduct regular meetings every six months. It also urged it to meet with employees and employers periodically to update them and to conduct follow-up work. It recommended more time be spent conducting the surveys, she said.

Another significant problem is that some employers cut other allowances and benefits when the basic wage is increased.

Such problems were encountered when the country's first minimum wage of 3,600 kyats was established in 2015, said Ko Ye Naing Win, a labor rights advocate who previously worked for the Arbitration Council for Labor Disputes.

He said employers had reduced or abolished allowances and other benefits, so there was not much difference for workers. Commodity prices had increased, putting pressure on employers and leading to labor strikes, he added.

The government needed to protect the rights of the laborers, he said.

The minimum wage is intended as a basic salary for unskilled workers (especially those entering the workforce), and pay raises are still expected to be paid as an employee gains in skill and experience, he said.

"The new rate is does not fully cover employees' cost of living, but employers claim they have difficulty paying more than that. Given that, the government also needs to draft policies for the betterment of employees," Ko Ye Naing Win said.

He stressed the need to implement welfare schemes for workers such as housing projects with low-priced rental apartments and low-cost restaurants to ease the impact of rising living costs.

Under the Minimum Wage Law, a new rate must be enacted every two years.

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USAID Official Stresses Need For ‘Voluntary’ Repatriation of Rohingya

Posted: 16 May 2018 05:13 AM PDT

DHAKA — USAID Administrator Mark Green reiterated the United States’ desire to see “voluntary repatriation” of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar under safe conditions during a visit to Bangladesh, where some 1 million Rohingya are taking shelter.

“The United States’ position is that we support and want the voluntary repatriation of the Rohingya to Burma under safe conditions. That has continued to be our position,” Green told reporters on Tuesday after visiting Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, calling Myanmar by another name.

“I wish to listen, learn and bring some recommendations and some information back to the secretary of state,” he said.

Green is traveling to Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand from May 13 to 23 with the US aid agency’s senior deputy assistant administrator for Asia, Gloria Steele, and US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration Mark Storella.

The US Embassy in Dhaka said that while in Bangladesh and Myanmar Green plans to visit several sites where the US government is providing humanitarian assistance to displaced Rohingya and affected host communities. It said Green would also be meeting with Bangladesh government officials.

In Myanmar, the embassy said, he will meet with civil society representatives, students and youth leaders, and Myanmar government officials to discuss the steps needed to address the crises in Rakhine State and violence in other parts of the country.

The embassy said Green will then visit Bangkok from May 21 to 22 to meet with USAID mission directors from across Asia to discuss the implementation of US President Donald Trump’s Indo-Pacific strategy.

Green said most of his time in Bangladesh and Myanmar would be spent “fact finding, learning, listening” in order to report back to newly appointed US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

He said he found the Rohingya he met to be “tremendously courageous," "hopeful" and “optimistic.”

Green also announced an additional $44 million in US humanitarian assistance to meet the urgent needs of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and people affected by violence and conflict in Myanmar. The funds bring total US humanitarian assistance for displaced people in and from Myanmar to more than $299 million since the beginning of the 2017 fiscal year, the US Embassy in Dhaka said.

Since August, nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled violence in Rakhine State for Bangladesh, which was already hosting more than 300,000 Rohingya who had fled past bouts of communal violence in Myanmar.

Another 8.3 million people in Myanmar live in areas affected by conflict, in Rakhine and elsewhere.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provide direct technical and scientific support to prevent, detect, and respond to disease outbreaks and other major public health issues facing the Rohingya.

Earlier this year, the centers provided laboratory training and supplies that allowed the Bangladesh Health and Family Welfare Ministry to confirm a diphtheria outbreak in the Cox’s Bazar camps.

  Separately, a joint working group between Bangladesh and Myanmar on Rohingya repatriation will hold its next meeting on Thursday in Dhaka, according to Bangladeshi media.

At the group’s first meeting on Jan. 15 in Myanmar, the two countries agreed to the “physical arrangements” for the repatriation of Rohingya “forcibly displaced from Myanmar.”

The neighbors signed a repatriation deal in November. So far, Myanmar has confirmed 878 refugees as former residents from an initial list of 8,032 volunteers provided by Bangladesh in February and is still vetting the others. None of them has returned to Myanmar as of yet.

Meanwhile, at Bangladesh’s third Universal Periodic Review before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday, the country’s law minister, Anisul Huq, said many countries were ignoring the plight of refugees.

“In such a global context, I take pride as I represent Bangladesh, which has opened its border for the forcibly displaced nationals of Myanmar," he said in a prepared statement.

“Despite constraints, our people embraced the helpless Rohingyas, who had been forced to flee from their homes in Myanmar," he added. “We have been providing temporary shelter to about 1.1 million Rohingyas who are victims of [the] worst kind of human rights violations in Myanmar.”

Huq said Bangladesh has been expediting the registration and visa applications of international non-governmental organizations, noting that the number of such groups working in Cox’s Bazar has jumped from 15 in August to 122 as of this month.

“To ensure decongestion in the camps and better facilitation of humanitarian assistance, we are now developing Bhashan Char [island], where livelihood opportunities will also be created for the Rohingyas pending their return to Myanmar,” he said.

The minister added that, “as a party to [the] Rome Statute, we remain fully supportive to the activities of the International Criminal Court. We also support the Kampala Amendment to the Rome Statute."

The New Age, a Dhaka daily, reported on May 8 that the Hague-based court had asked Bangladesh to provide it with observations and evidence for use in deciding whether it has jurisdiction to investigate Myanmar's “expulsion” of Rohingya.

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Clashes Escalate Across the Country

Posted: 16 May 2018 05:04 AM PDT

Fighting between the Myanmar Army and ethnic armed forces has escalated not only in Kachin but also in Palaung, Kokang and Rakhine areas, the ethnic bloc the Northern Alliance reported on Wednesday.

Attacks have broken out nearly every day recently between the Myanmar Army, or Tatmadaw, and Northern Alliance members including the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and Arakan Army (AA).

On Tuesday, clashes occurred with government troops and KIA Brigade 2, Battalions 2 and 6 in the Hukawng area, as well as KIA Brigade 1, Battalion 4, in Injangyang Township, Kachin State.

The Northern Alliance claims that during an attack in Injangyang on May 15 between its troops and Myanmar Army Infantry Battalion 120 under Infantry Division 33, it seized guns, grenades, and ammunition, and that the government troops fled after suffering casualties.

The Myanmar Army used air strikes against KIA Battalion 6 in Hpakant Township on Tuesday, and the KIA suffered injuries, the Northern Alliance reported.

Joint alliance armed forces from the KIA Brigade 6 and the MNDAA have also clashed with the government troops recently, which the Northern Alliance posted video footage of.

There was also ongoing fighting almost every day in northern Shan State, according to Colonel Tar Aike Kyaw, a spokesperson from the TNLA.

"Clashes broke out 11 times in just the first half of this month," said the spokesperson, adding that the Myanmar Army has continued to deploy troops in northern Shan.

The TNLA claims that fighting has broken out as the Myanmar Army attacks TNLA bases.

In Rakhine State, the AA reported that fighting has broken out three times in May.

The TNLA, AA and MNDAA issued a statement on May 8 that they would help fellow Northern Alliance group the KIA to fight the Myanmar Army, which continues to launch military offensives in Kachin.

Three days after issuing the statement, the TNLA launched attacks in Muse, Shan State, at a casino, police base and militia base – killing at least 19 people including police, local militia members and civilians.

Fighting escalated in Kachin after the Myanmar Army launched a military offensive on April 11 in Tanai. The UN reported that 10,000 Kachin IDPs have fled the area because of Myanmar Army offensives since then.

The Northern Alliance has pledged to fight back.

Right activists have launched protests across the country asking the Myanmar Army to stop the attacks in Kachin and for the rescue of displaced persons who have been trapped in Kachin due to fighting between the government troops and the KIA.

The Freedom of Expression Activist Organization reported that 42 rights activists have been charged in May for violating the Pe

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Govt Declares Two Bridges ‘Dangerous’ In Midst of Nationwide Review

Posted: 16 May 2018 02:09 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW — The Construction Ministry has been inspecting all suspension bridges across the country since the collapse of a bridge in Irrawaddy Region last month and will inform the public whether they are safe by the end of July, Deputy Construction Minister U Kyaw Lin said on Tuesday.

A 22-year-old suspension bridge in Irrawaddy’s Myaungmya Township collapsed on April 1, killing the driver and passenger of a truck passing over it at the time. In the days following, the Construction Ministry blamed the collapse on an outdated design that made it difficult to inspect the bridge’s steel suspension cables, which had rusted and eventually snapped.

At a press conference in Naypyitaw, U Kyaw Lin said two of Myanmar’s 29 suspension bridges have been deemed dangerous already: the Maezali bridge in Magwe Region and the Zar Thapyin bridge in Karen State.

The Construction Ministry has been inspecting the suspension bridges with the assistance of 22 Chinese technicians.

"We are inspecting all 29 bridges, and Chinese technicians have pointed out the worst two of them. We have declared them dangerous," the deputy minister said, adding that the ministry would replace them as soon as possible.

The Construction Ministry inspects suspension bridges twice a year, but its technicians can only inspect their outer features. The deputy minister said it has had to turn to the Chinese technicians for help inspecting the bridges’ internal features using X-rays.

In April, the ministry said the cables that rusted and snapped inside the bridge that collapsed were hidden from view because they had been laid in concrete.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Army Sues Kachin Protesters for Defamation

Posted: 16 May 2018 01:57 AM PDT

YANGON — The Northern Command of the Myanmar Army has sued three Kachin youth who led a sit-in protest against ongoing clashes in Kachin State for defamation.

On Wednesday, a local court issued summons against the three—Zau Jat of the Kachin National Social Development Association, director Nang Pu of the Htoi Gender and Development Foundation, and lawyer Lum Zawng.

"We have been sued and summoned by the court to appear tomorrow," Zau Jat told The Irrawaddy.

"If we are to be sued, we should only be sued under Article 19 of the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law. We are surprised that they sued us for defamation. We didn't defame them," said Zau Jat.

"We only called for enabling the rescue of trapped civilians. We don't know what was defamatory to them," added Zau Jat.

The defamation charge allows bail and carries a maximum two years' imprisonment and a fine.

The Irrawaddy was not able to contact the Northern Command for comment.

Police Major Myat Moe of the Myitkyina Township police station said that the command might have directly filed a complaint with the court.

On April 30, more than 3,000 Kachin locals staged a protest march against ongoing clashes between the Myanmar Army and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in Kachin State. Around 3,000 Kachin youth also staged a sit-in protest from April 30 to May 6, calling for the rescue of thousands of displaced persons trapped by the fighting.

Clashes that broke out on April 11 displaced more than 6,000 people in Tanai, Injangyang, Mogaung and Hpakant townships.

After negotiations between the Kachin State chief minister and the protestors on May 3, the Kachin State government agreed to intervene. On May 6, it rescued 160 villagers in Hpakant.

They fled their village following the clashes on April 11, but they were brought back to their village by the military column and had been trapped in the village since then.

Most of those trapped by the fighting have now escaped, but around 1,000 remain trapped in Tanai Township.

On May 9, lawyer Lum Zawng, and another protest leader Sut Seng Htoi were fined 30,000 kyats each by the Myitkyina Township court for breaching Article 19 of Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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India-Myanmar Open Border Policy: A Travesty for Sustainable, Traditional Agriculture

Posted: 16 May 2018 12:53 AM PDT

Up in the hills some 1,524 meters above sea level the practice of slash and burn agriculture, popularly known as "jhum cultivation," has carried on uninterrupted feeding several thousands of people in the Naga hills for generations. This unique practice of hill farming has in fact debunked myths about shifting cultivation (as jhum is also known) being harmful and environmentally destructive and has proven it to be one of the most resilient forms of agriculture in the highlands, which are mostly inhabited by indigenous communities.

But one such fascinating example of jhum cultivation practiced by the Khiamniungan Nagas since the beginning of the tribe across the eastern part of Nagaland State in India and the western part of Myanmar now faces a distinctive threat of being wiped out owing to a lopsided plan to secure an imaginary border by constructing physical fences and militarizing the hills. At the center of this extremely skewed plan is the government of Myanmar's push to fence this imaginary line with support from its Indian counterpart, which is providing the armed military security to construct the fences.

An abortive attempt was made by the Myanmar government in 2016 to fence about three kilometers of the imaginary border that passes through the sleepy hamlets of Dan and Pangsha in the Noklak district of Nagaland. The fencing was halted after massive protests by locals of Dan, Pangsha and other villages, as well as several Naga organizations. But it could resume anytime and in the process convert 3,500 hectares of cultivable area – which are part of the jhum fields – into a no man's land, while dividing Khiamniungan Naga families that inhabit these hills.

A recent visit to Dan brought to the fore the immense hardships the proposed fencing and the Indian security outpost is causing to locals. Unlike before, locals from both sides are not able to move freely to plow their fields.

Land cleared for slash and burn agriculture on the way to Pangsha village. / Bidhayak Das

"There are restrictions imposed on us if we move through the checkpoint area, and also, if we go through other passages, these Indian army men watch us through binoculars," said Nyukha, the 80-year-old Khaimniungan Naga gaobura (village headman) of Dan.

The Khiamniungans are one of the major tribes among the Nagas. They are spread across the eastern part of Nagaland State in India and the western part of Myanmar. Khiamniungan literally means "source of great water or river," (Khiam means water, Nui means great and Ngan means source). The nomenclature is said to derive from the biggest river of the land (Laang) and the Chindwin River downhill with which the former converges. Apart from the Konyaks, the Khiamniungan Nagas were considered to be the most ferocious headhunters before they converted to Christianity.

The Khaimniungan Nagas of Pangsha and Dan, who also identify themselves as the "Pangshas," have 10 jhum fields, three on the Myanmar side separated by Dan mountain and seven on the Indian side. The cultivation follows a cyclical pattern and after the first year, the field is left fallow to be visited by the Jhumias (as local jhum farmers are known) again after the tenth year when the topsoil regenerates fully with full-grown trees. Usually rice (paddy), millet, maize, black gram, ginger, soybean and other vegetables are cultivated in a rotational format in the first year followed by only millet in the second year before the land is left to regenerate.

Incidentally, this unique method of hill farming creates a traditional economy that has sustained several Naga tribes for generations. Cultivating a plot of land – which is called Liu – goes through a process of endorsement by the village, after which each household can cultivate the plot of land given to them – known as Eiu.

Almost 2,000 households comprising old and new Pangsha and Dan villagers have an Eiu, which provides them all the essential food they need.

"We only have to buy salt and tea," said Pape, the gaobura of New Pangsha. The same story is repeated by Jhumias from the Naga hills in Myanmar. They too have plots on both sides and follow a similar pattern of either a 10- or 11-year cycle.

The jhum fields are also closely interwoven with another age-old practice – that of rearing Mithun, a wild yak, which is used for its meat by the Khiamniungans. This herbivore, which thrives on a lot of salt, is found all across the Naga hills.

Wild Mithuns roaming the forest of Pangsha in Noklak district Nagaland. / Bidhayak Das

"Mithun is a big thing for the villagers. One Mithun may be owned by many people and the sale of it could help fund the education of two school-going children in a year. This animal is usually reared on the Myanmar side of the border where the forest is dense and more suitable," says Hempao Lam, a local Khaimniungan church leader.

Thus now, if we are to understand why the likes of 80-year-old Nyukha and Hempao are so worried, it is simply because a lot is at stake. Not just the 3,500 hectares of cultivable land that will be gone, but a traditional lifestyle that has been sustaining people in these very difficult and challenging mountains will be destroyed forever.

Hempao puts it as, "It's not just about the free movement regime, as even if we are allowed to move, we have to enter our names and will be at the mercy of the security forces. It will also badly impact our jhum patterns and result in devastating impacts on the ecology."

Well-known environmentalist Amba Jamir, who also hails from Nagaland, is of the opinion that the fences will not only impact agricultural activities but also the entire land use and resource management regimes. In his words, "Shifting cultivation is about more than just food production; it involves a long forestry phase and all of this will be negatively impacted by physical fences."

Explaining the jhum cycle, Jamir – who is also the executive director and executive secretary of the Sustainable Development Forum Nagaland, says: "If the land is left to recover on its own, nature will take its own course. Having a fence will disrupt the natural movement of wild animals. That will be bad as the northeast is rich in biodiversity, as the region is located on the ‘transitional zone’ between the Indian, Indo-Malayan and Indo-Chinese bio-geographic realm."

A jhum land in Pangsha in Noklak district of Nagaland in India. / Bidhayak Das

The environmentalist without mincing words makes a point when he says, "It's about people and the natural world and this must be taken into consideration." The worry according to him is that the traditional land domains of the communities in the border areas "will be severely interfered with."

"It will impact their food production systems, their forest management systems and even reduce their hunting and gathering ranges. It could also negatively impact those clans or families that have land on the other side of the border," Jamir warns.

Such land could be encroached on and claimed by others and could cause conflicts. Finally, such moves will not bring the local communities to be with any government that deprives them of their land and resources. These may further cause economic and political rifts.

He suggested that instead of erecting fences and setting up security outposts, the authorities on both sides should instill a sense of pride in locals' resources, culture and institutions as a sure way of ensuring that they secure their rights and that of the nation. Indeed, there is merit in what he says that "rather than putting up physical boundaries at such extravagant costs, why can the place not be patrolled or monitored using technology?" Besides, using technology, education and services that respond to people's needs and requirements will also ensure that there is loyalty, responsibility and national pride.

Hempao has five plots of land within the 3,500 hectares on the Dan side. But he is apprehensive that when he visits his fields in five years when the jhum cycle completes its 10-year cycle, the land may be out of bounds owing to security restrictions for him and his relatives. He is equally worried that with increasing sanctions on movement that there would be pressure on the jhum fields on the Indian side of Dan and cultivation cycles may be reduced to six or seven years.

"People may also start to cultivate where they have never cultivated before like forest areas in the higher reaches," he says. "If Jhumias start going higher there will be a scarcity of water, but if cultivation areas in the lowlands are reduced, farmers will have no option and this beautiful ecosystem will be severely affected."

A view of settlements in the hills of Nagaland. / Bidhayak Das

As many as 244 villages, 44 on the Indian side and 200 in Myanmar, are facing the brunt of the fencing. "Over 10,000 people's livelihood will be affected. The most hard-hit will be our fellow Nagas from Myanmar," says 80-year-old P Behism, an adviser to the Khiamniungan Tribal Council (KTC)

However, Naypyitaw and New Delhi may be far from understanding these social dynamics on the ground. In a meeting held on March 9 in New Delhi under the chairmanship of the Special Secretary Ministry of Home Affairs India (border management-I division) on "effective implementation of the free movement regime," the need was felt for restricting movement, especially vehicles, on the pretext that "movement of vehicles across IMB (imaginary boundaries) has no legal sanctity without bilateral agreement between India and Myanmar." Perhaps this speaks volumes regarding the shortsightedness of the government on the issue which will only bring more problems than solutions.

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.

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More Informal Talks Scheduled In Lead-up to National Peace Conference

Posted: 16 May 2018 12:32 AM PDT

YANGON — Ethnic armed groups that have signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) will hold more informal talks with the government and military later this week on political and security issues in preparation for the third session of the 21st Century Panglong peace conference.

The delegates are scheduled to meet in Naypyitaw on Friday and Saturday, said Pa-O National Liberation Organization patron Colonel Khun Okkar.

An earlier round of informal talks took place on April 20-21.

"We will have informal talks to smooth the path to make official decisions," Col. Khun Okkar told The Irrawaddy.

The NCA signatories will each send two groups of delegates to discuss political and security issues separately.

"The government is working to hold a UPDJC [Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee] secretarial meeting and work committee meetings in the third week of May in order to hold the [21st Century Panglong] conference by the end of this month," said U Hla Maung Shwe, a member on the UPDJC’s secretarial board.

"We hope the coming informal talks will pave the way for peace, which is what all citizens desire," said Col. Khun Okkar.

The results will be discussed at the 21st Century Panglong, which is slated to be held by the end of May in Naypyitaw.

The informal talks are expected to focus on setting a precise date for the peace conference and on obstacles to holding political dialogues in Shan and Rakhine states, a government official said on condition of anonymity. The official said they may also address security sector reform and disarmament, demobilization and the reintegration of rebel soldiers.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Police Chief Denies Using Thugs to Break Up Anti-war Protest

Posted: 16 May 2018 12:16 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW — The chief of the Myanmar Police Force has denied using civilian thugs to arrest anti-war demonstrators in Yangon's Tamwe Township on Saturday.

In response to The Irrawaddy's question about the arrest of protesters, Police Major-General Aung Win Oo said, "I'd say we didn't use civilians in that case."

Speaking at a press conference on Monday to report on the police force's activities over the past year, he said officers controlled the protest in line with the law.

Around 200 people joined Saturday's protest in Yangon calling for an end to fighting between the Myanmar military (or Tatmadaw) and ethnic armed groups. Eight people were detained and sued for violating the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law, and released on bail the following day.

The police chief vowed to find out "who the persons in ordinary clothes were" and take legal action against them. He did not provide further details, however.

After police halted the demonstration, anti-war protesters were arrested by people wearing plain clothes, said Yangon-based journalist Ko Tha Lun, who was at the scene.

"Those in ordinary clothes were clearly supporters of Ma Ba Tha [the Association for Protection of Race and Religion] and the Tatmadaw. You can identify them if you watch the video clips [of previous protests in support of Ma Ba Tha and the Tatmadaw]," said Ko Tha Lun, who is also a member of the Press Freedom Committee in Yangon. The Tatmadaw refers to Myanmar's military.

"They also jostled the reporters. And the police didn't protect us. Therefore, we've filed a complaint with the Myanmar National Human Rights Council and the Press Council," he said.

The police chief said action was taken against anti-war protesters in several townships because the demonstrators did not seek prior approval from the appropriate police stations.

He cited Section 128 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which states that if participants in an unlawful assembly do not obey a police order to disperse, police can use force to disperse them, and may use the assistance of any unarmed male person who is not a police officer or soldier.

"But we didn't use any civilian force in this case," Maj-Gen Aung Win Oo said.

On Monday, 391 civil society organizations issued a joint statement condemning the beating of anti-war protesters by the police and those in civilian clothing. The statement calls on the government to identify and take action against those who illegally cracked down on the protesters. It also demands the unconditional, immediate release of activists across the country who have been detained for anti-war activities.

Protests against the fighting in Kachin State have escalated since a protest camp was set up in the Kachin State capital, Myitkyina, a few weeks ago. Though the camp has since been broken up, protests have spread to Yangon, Mandalay, Bago and Pyay.

So far this month, 42 people have been detained and sued in 13 cases related to anti-war protests (seven cases in Yangon Region, three in Mandalay Region, two in Kachin State and one in Bago Region), The Voice, a civil society group lobbying for freedom of expression, said on Monday.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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AirAsia CEO Says Talks About Opening Myanmar Airline ‘Have Stopped’

Posted: 15 May 2018 10:09 PM PDT

BANGKOK — Talks between AirAsia Group Bhd and a partner to open an airline in Myanmar have stopped, the group’s chief executive told reporters on Tuesday.

Chief Executive Tony Fernandes told Reuters in March his budget carrier was in talks with a potential partner to open an airline serving Myanmar, which would help the low-cost carrier to cover up to 95 per cent of the Southeast Asian travel market.

But Fernandes told reporters at an AirAsia event in Bangkok, “The negotiations have stopped. We are not moving ahead with Myanmar at the moment… We might revisit that but we’ve decided not to go into Myanmar just yet.”

He did not disclose the potential partner.

Fernandes said he expected AirAsia’s Vietnam joint venture to be flying by the end of the year or early 2019.

A330neo Still "The Favorite"

Fernandes tentatively reconfirmed the group’s commitment to the A330neo jet at the event in Bangkok celebrating the carrier’s half-a-billion customer milestone.

Fernandes, who is Co-Group CEO of AirAsia X, the long-haul arm of AirAsia, said the neo was still the “favorite choice of aircraft” for AirAsia X.

“It looks a fantastic aircraft. It looks everything that we thought it would be but we’re holding off at the moment until we see exactly how it performs,” he added.

Boeing has been trying to convince AirAsiaX to abandon the A330neo and switch to its newer 787 Dreamliner.

Shares in AirAsia Group fell as much as 10 percent on Monday in the first trading session since Fernandes apologized for endorsing former Malaysian leader Najib Razak days before he lost a general election last week to veteran politician Mahathir Mohamad, 92.

Fernandes apologized and said he was under intense pressure to support the Najib government.

The Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) on Tuesday refuted accusations by Fernandes that it had told the budget airline to cancel all additional flights intended to help voters return home before polling day.

The regulator said it had filed a police report against Fernandes.

Fernandes told Reuters in Bangkok he would not comment on the police report and referred Reuters to statement by AirAsia on Tuesday saying it “strongly refutes” the report lodged by Mavcom.

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Malaysia’s 92-year-old PM Says He’ll Stay in Office for 1-2 Years

Posted: 15 May 2018 09:41 PM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR/TOKYO — New Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Tuesday he will remain in office for one or two years and that Anwar Ibrahim, the jailed reformist he had vowed would replace him, will be released on Wednesday.

Mahathir, 92, said he thought that “in a short while” the government could have a case against his predecessor, Najib Razak, who has been dogged by a multi-billion-dollar scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

A four-party alliance driven by Mahathir and Anwar won the general election last week, ousting the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition for the first time in the history of the Southeast Asian nation. Mahathir was sworn in as prime minister on Thursday, making him the world’s oldest democratically elected leader.

In “an initial stage, maybe lasting one or two years, I will be the prime minister," Mahathir said, speaking by live video link from Kuala Lumpur to a Wall Street Journal CEO conference in Tokyo.

“I will play a role in the background even when I step down.”

The pardons board in Malaysia’s capital will meet on Wednesday to discuss Anwar’s release and Mahathir said he would be released the same day.

Anwar, 70, is serving a second five-year jail term for sodomy. He and his supporters have said the charges are politically motivated.

A royal pardon would reverse Anwar’s conviction and make him eligible to actively participate in politics. He has been in hospital for a few months recovering from a shoulder operation.

During the campaign, Mahathir, who was prime minister for 22 years in a previous stint from 1981, promised to step aside and make Anwar prime minister once he was pardoned.

But there have been differences between the two over the cabinet formation, and Mahathir made it clear on Tuesday that he was in charge.

“I expect him to play the same role as the leaders of the other three parties. There will be no special powers given except as are given to ministers or deputy ministers or deputy prime ministers,” Mahathir said. He added that he would make the final decision about cabinet posts.

The Wall Street Journal cited what it called audio remarks from Anwar as saying Mahathir should be given time to achieve his objectives.

“I’m not in a rush,” Anwar was quoted as saying.

Reuters could not verify the report.

Volatile Relationship

Mahathir has named just three ministers so far in addition to himself and Anwar’s wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, as deputy prime minister.

Anwar’s People’s Justice Party (PKR), which has the most seats in the alliance, is demanding a proportionate number of posts in the cabinet.

The volatile relationship between Anwar and Mahathir, from friends to foes to allies, has dominated Malaysia’s political landscape for more than three decades and is central to the future of the alliance.

When Mahathir was prime minister in the 1990s, Anwar was his deputy and clear heir-apparent.

But in 1998, they disagreed on how to tackle the Asian financial crisis and fell out. Anwar was sacked, and later jailed on charges of sodomy and corruption.

Anwar was freed in 2004 but in 2015, he was jailed again – for five years – for sodomizing a former aide, a charge he and his supporters describe as a politically motivated attempt by Najib to end his career.

In an astonishing U-turn last year, Anwar shook hands with Mahathir and agreed to join forces to oust scandal-tainted Najib.

Mahathir vowed on Monday to investigate any faults that may have been committed by Najib’s government and said all ministries had been instructed not to destroy any documents.

Asked if Najib would go to prison, he said: “It all depends on the investigation being made and whether there is a case against him or not. If there is no case, we do not go for detention without trial.”

The scandal is being investigated in at least six countries, including Singapore, Switzerland and the United States.

The Swiss attorney general’s office said on Tuesday that federal prosecutors were seeking quick talks with Malaysian counterparts on how to press forward with the investigation.

News broke in 2015 that about $700 million allegedly stolen from 1MDB had made its way into Najib’s personal bank accounts. Najib has said the deposit was a donation by an unnamed member of the Saudi royal family, which had been largely returned.

Najib was cleared of wrongdoing by the attorney general in 2016 but Mahathir has said the official has been asked to go on leave and replaced.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission found evidence in late 2015 that 42 million ringgit ($10.6 million) was transferred from a former subsidiary of 1MDB into an account of Najib, but its recommendation for further investigation was rejected by the attorney general, a member of a panel that reviewed the commission’s case files told Reuters.

Najib set up 1MDB in 2009 and previously served as chairman of its advisory board. He and the fund have denied wrongdoing.

Mahathir blocked Najib from leaving the country over the weekend.

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Tuesday, May 15, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Artist Creates Paintings In a Bottle

Posted: 15 May 2018 08:18 AM PDT

BAGAN — Bagan is full of artwork and is the heart of Myanmar. Most visitors come to see the ancient pagodas and the stucco murals inside, and maybe visit the traditional lacquerware workshops.

But another rare art form in Bagan is bottle painting, the art of painting the insides of glass bottles with images of people, animals and landscapes. It’s not easy, but Yaw Na Than loves to do it.

The 50-year-old artist is the only bottle painter left in Bagan and has turned his house into an eponymously named gallery to cut down on costs.

"In recent years I had my own gallery [outside of home], Yaw Na Than, but I couldn’t afford to keep renting the space because I don't have much income," he told The Irrawaddy during an interview in Bagan. "And I want to paint on canvas and try to have an exhibition, so I need more time."

Yaw Na Than paints the outlines of an image inside a bottle. / Zaw Zaw / The Irrawaddy

His thatch home is in Nyaung-U, near Shwesikhone Pagoda. It’s a little hard to find, but locals are happy to point the way.

A tiny signboard bearing his name sits at the entrance along with some of his work. Inside, a small table is cluttered with brushes, paint cups and bottles.

"It takes about a week to do those small bottles because bottle painting is done with oil paints. So you have to wait for each layer to dry, and it takes patience. I need to paint each layer carefully," Yaw Na Than said.

He likes to paint scenes of playing children, monks and nuns, and the Bagan landscape. It’s very impressive. The artist’s effort, skill and imagination are all obvious in his work.

Most of his customers are foreigners. The smallest bottles sell for 10,000 kyats ($7.43) each. Larger bottles hang on the wall bearing the portraits of Vincent Van Gogh, Salvador Dali, Mahatma Gandhi and the Dalai Lama.

"Those are $100 each because they’re more difficulty, take more time and need more concentration. Van Gogh bottles are the best sellers," he said.

"I need to print those portraits first,” he explained. “Then I stick them to the bottle with glue so I have an outline of the portrait. Then I start painting the bottle layer by layer."

Bottle paintings are displayed at Yaw Na Than’s home gallery. / Zaw Zaw / The Irrawaddy

Yaw Na Than said he can paint any image inside the bottles. But the bigger the bottle, the more time it takes. And the greater the detail, the higher the price.

"Foreigners mostly buy the smaller ones because they’re easy to carry and aren’t heavy," he said.

To paint the insides of the bottles, he needs to bend the tips of his brushes. It’s painstaking work and defies mass production. Yaw Na Than believes that’s one of the reasons it’s not very popular.

"We’re losing peoples’ interest because we don't have many products and customers have few choices. We can't make the process very fast because it’s handmade. I paint to earn an income, but I paint what I love to draw," he said.

Yaw Na Than holds a large bottle painting. / Zaw Zaw / The Irrawaddy

"That's not only me. Lacquerware makers and sand painting artists are also losing peoples’ interest. Visitors are more interested in temporary tattoos in Bagan and artists are switching to that because it’s important for them to make a living."

Yaw Na Than has also recently stopped painting bottles to focus on canvas and on organizing a solo exhibition.

"Being an artist, I want to exhibit, and I have a sponsor. That's why I’m spending more time drawing on canvas right now," he said.

The working title of his planned exhibit, to feature images of Van Gogh, is “Time and Life.”

Yaw Na Than paints a bottle at home. / Zaw Zaw / The Irrawaddy

"I am combining my main character, Van Gogh, with traditional Myanmar elements, characters and people. I have finished a total of eight paintings and am still working on the project. The exhibit will have a total of 15 or 20 paintings," Yaw Na Than said.

He said the show will open soon in Yangon.

But as the only bottle painter left in Bagan, Yaw Na Than said he would also love the chance to pass on his 20 years of experience in the fine art to a new generation.

A small bottle painting. / Zaw Zaw / The Irrawaddy

"Once, a French art group asked me to teach them but I refused because I would love to teach our Burmese people first. But the youth are not really interested to learn. They just want to know the process and come to me to paint the pictures they ask for," he said.

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Rakhine Developer Defies Gov’t Order to Halt New Town Project

Posted: 15 May 2018 08:16 AM PDT

YANGON – A local developer led by influential businessman U Kyauk Taung is proceeding with a major construction project in southern Rakhine State in defiance of an order by the Union government to halt the work.

Htarwara Aung Myay, a public company, is developing a new town on hundred acres of land in Taungup Township.

Nay La Thit Sar, a construction company owned by U Kyauk Tuang, is participating in the urban development project on the basis of permission granted by the previous Rakhine State chief minister, U Hla Maung Tin. The Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) member held the office during the administration of former Myanmar President U Thein Sein.

U Kyauk Taung established Htarwara Aung Myay along with about 52 prominent local people, including many township leaders. The company has acquired hundreds of acres of land located on the town's outskirts.

The 450 acres include mangrove forest, farmland, unused land and pasture, according to U Kyauk Taung. The developer intends to build housing, a park, a football stadium, a market and and a wedding complex on the site. It has invested about 2 billion kyats and completed about 30 percent of the construction work, including roads, bridges, a water-supply system and a connection to the national power grid. U Kyauk Taung has estimated the entire project will require investment of about 10 billion kyats.

He admitted to The Irrawaddy that his company was ordered to stop construction by the Union government.

A poster advertises Htarwara Aung Myay Co.’s new town project in southern Rakhine's Taungup Township.(Photos : Moe Myint/ The Irrawaddy )

However, The Irrawaddy has independently verified that construction continued at the site in Taungup Township in early May. Although the company has yet to be granted Union government approval to use the land, company posters advertising the project could be seen at several road junctions in the town.

In March, National League for Democracy (NLD) Lower House lawmaker Daw Ni Ni May Myint asked the chamber whether it was normal for a public company to launch a project as large in scope as a new town without approval. Such projects usually require authorization by the Union government, she said. Dr. Aung Thu, the Union minister for agriculture, livestock and irrigation, replied that public companies are not allowed to launch such projects without government approval.

On May 3, the company requested permission from township authorities, including the municipal committee and some lawmakers, to hold a coordination meeting in the town. The company's project director and shareholders said at the meeting that they had selected about 310 acres on which to build the new town.

The information on the size of the project contradicted a previous statement by the chairman, however.

Both the NLD lawmaker and the head of the municipal committee, U San Nge, told The Irrawaddy that Htarwara Aung Myay company bought from the farmers about 179 acres of farmland. According to company documents, it bought 123 acres of vacant land, and 6 acres of mangrove forest. The farmers were paid just 2.5 million kyats per acre of land.

A Htarwara Aung Myay Co. truck carries away soil as part of construction activity related to the project on May 4.(Photos : Moe Myint/ The Irrawaddy )

U Kyauk Taung declined to clarify the dimensions of the purchased land during a phone interview on Monday. He said the farmers agreed to allow free use of the pasture land, which is referred to as "wasteland" in company documents. The Irrawaddy independently verified that some hills on this land had been flattened to make way for the development.

U San Ngwe said U Kyauk Taung has close ties with the USDP and actively supported it during the campaign for the 2015 general election. Expecting a USDP victory in Taungup, the company brought in heavy machinery and began constructing roads, filling in land and building structures without waiting for Union government approval. The USDP ultimately lost the constituency to an NLD candidate in the election, and the NLD-led government ordered a review of the project.

"The new government found that the project was in breach of legal requirements and ordered that it be halted," U San Ngwe said.

According to him, township authorities and the government's land scrutinization body discovered that Htarwara Aung Myay had grabbed the approximately 130 acres of pasture land without compensating the farmers.

U Kyauk Taung defended his actions, saying they were in accordance with local tradition. "If we buy land from farmers, they must also give the hills surrounding the farmland to the buyer. This is the traditional way of doing things in our region. If you came to our region, you would see that this is our tradition."

He said that in a previous purchase of about 264 acres in Taungup for a university project under the previous USDP-led government, he bought a large amount of hilly land for a pittance. He had followed a similar process in purchasing land for the new town, he said.

"That land is not fit for cultivation. I have been buying land here [in Taungup] for all government departments whenever they ask. When any government asks me to build something, I make it happen," U Kyauk Taung said.

The municipal committee confirmed that some 130 acres of the project's land was pasture land confiscated by the company as "wasteland and vacant land". U San Ngwe said that, generally, farmers in Rakhine do not apply for separate ownership documents for such land from the government, as it was recognized as customary land by the community.

Moreover, the company was only approved to fill mangrove forest land; other lands are still awaiting La Na (39) forms. These are official land-use permits approving use for other purposes. In addition, the committee had found that the actual amount of land being used by the developer did not match the company's initial proposal. It has recommended that the site's dimensions be reassessed.

Children ride bikes near the new town development in Taungup Township.(Photos : Moe Myint/ The Irrawaddy )

Moreover, the company has already built brick housing units on Taungup's outskirts on land for which it does not have land permits. It plans to sell 40 x 60 square-foot homes for 15 million kyats. Some residents of Wae Gyi village told The Irrawaddy that real estate prices have climbed dramatically in recent years as the developer has put out word of the planned new town.

U Kyauk Taung said the housing development was a a "simple" project, adding that no units had yet been sold.

Despite more than 100 acres of land being taken from their owners without compensation, neither the township's land securitization committee nor land rights activists have received any official complaints from the farmers. One activist told The Irrawaddy that almost every wealthy resident and community leader in Taungup Township was involved, directly or indirectly, in the new town project. Therefore, poor farmers dare not oppose U Kyauk Taung, who is also a vice chairman of Myanmar Kyaukphyu Special Economic Holding Public Company Ltd (MKSH).

U Kyauk Taung acknowledged that his project was under investigation by the Bureau of Special Investigation after questions were raised in the Lower House. He complained that his company had donated about 15 acres of land to house a new 100-bed hospital in the new town. He said buildings had already been built on the site, and added that 7 acres of land had been sold on to the Housing Department at their original price during the former government's term.

He failed to mention that his company won a bid to build the hospital on the site.

Municipal committee chair U San Ngwe said the body had already submitted its findings on the project to the Rakhine State cabinet. Legally, the company needs a recommendation from the township municipal committee before submitting its proposal to the state government, with final approval then required by the Union government. Newly appointed State Municipal Affairs Minister U Win Myint confirmed that the state Cabinet had received the Taungup municipal committee's report, and said it would be discussed at a Cabinet meeting in the coming weeks.

"If they neglect to follow the procedures, the project is likely to be rejected," U Win Myint said.

The post Rakhine Developer Defies Gov't Order to Halt New Town Project appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Analysis: ARSA Conspicuous in Its Silence

Posted: 15 May 2018 05:19 AM PDT

YANGON — On Jan. 31, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army posted a press statement on Twitter with the heading, "Notice to other armed groups, dacoit (bandit) groups, human trafficking groups, drug trafficking groups and some other groups commissioned by the Burmese terrorist government operating in disguise as ARSA."

In its statement, the Muslim armed group, which earlier claimed responsibility for attacking 30 police outposts in northern Rakhine State in August last year, warned members of the abovementioned groups not to tarnish ARSA's image in the eyes of the international community by disguising themselves as belonging to the Rohingya group.

ARSA's attacks in August triggered clearance operations in the area by the Myanmar military that caused nearly 700,000 Rohingya to flee to nearby Bangladesh.

Since that post, the group — denounced by the Myanmar government as a "terrorist organization" — has been silent on Twitter, their sole public relations platform.

Yangon-based political analyst U Maung Maung Soe said ARSA's silence was probably a reflection of the upper hand they had gained on the issue internationally.

He explained that ARSA is predominantly an instrument for Rohingya lobbyists at home and abroad to draw international attention to their movement.

"Now the issue is on the UN's agenda. So ARSA has kept a low profile since the Rohingya exodus attracted huge international attention. If they kept promoting the armed group, it could draw criticism," he said.

Despite the group's silence, the Rohingya issue has continued to attract international attention. The EU and US have imposed sanctions against certain Myanmar military leaders. Recently, the UN Security Council dispatched a team to Bangladesh and Myanmar to investigate the issue. The delegation urged Naypyitaw to allow the safe return of the Rohingya.

U Maung Maung Soe's comments on ARSA's silence were echoed by another Yangon-based analyst, David Scott Mathieson.

In his recent Asia Times article "The Curious Disappearance of Myanmar's Rohingya Rebels", he writes: "Clumsy or revealing messaging could undermine its calls for an International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into the military's abuses, or, as some have suggested, a possible UN intervention as seen in former Yugoslavia's Kosovo that carves out a Rohingya homeland in Rakhine's Maungdaw district."

Mathieson observes that, while the rebel group's initial statements espoused jihadist rhetoric, "much of its late 2017 statements were appeals to international organizations for assistance."

He adds that ARSA's aims and objectives — including "indigenous native ethnic status for Rohingyas, issuance of citizenship identity cards, allowances for 'bona fide Rohingyas' to return to Rakhine from diaspora communities worldwide, and the granting of full human rights, the ability to form political parties, employment in civil service jobs and return of confiscated land" — were in line with many international calls for the protection of the rights of Rohingya.

Mathieson continues that "ARSA's social media silence coincides with an emerging narrative that ARSA never existed. Rohingya and Western rights activists are now spreading a narrative that purports the August 25, 2017 attacks were a so-called 'false flag' operation by the Myanmar security forces to justify its brutally disproportionate 'area clearance' operations."

"That's raising questions about the degree of cooperation or collusion between the armed group and outside 'peaceful' activists and whether the rebel group's deafening new silence on its once active Twitter account is more of a collective than individual decision," he said.

Another reason ARSA stopped tweeting, Mathieson says, is that "the insurgent outfit is regrouping and training in neighboring Bangladesh in preparation for a fresh round of assaults it doesn't want to tip off through public communications."

U Maung Maung Soe warned that ARSA may resurface once the international community's concern over the Rohingya issue fades.

Daw Pyone Kathy Naing, a Lower House lawmaker and member of the International Relations Parliamentary Committee, warned that despite its current silence, the armed group could make a return at any time.

"ARSA is a key actor in the issue and their silence is quite weird. Myanmar and other regional countries should not lose track of it."

The post Analysis: ARSA Conspicuous in Its Silence appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

New Mon Party to Register with Election Commission

Posted: 15 May 2018 04:59 AM PDT

A new Mon party under the name the Mon National Representative Party will soon register with the Union Election Commission (UEC), according to the party organizing committee.

In preparation to secure votes in the upcoming 2020 election, Mon politicians, monks, legal experts, civil society groups, youth and women's rights activists have come together to try to form a strong party.

Participants at the second Mon Political Conference held from May 12-14 in the Mon State capital Moulmein shared their support for the new party.

Since their first conference in January, stakeholders have drafted a comprehensive party constitution and invited the three existing Mon parties – the Mon National Party (MNP), the All Mon Region Democracy Party (AMDP) and the Women's Party (Mon) – to join them.

Mi Sandar Nan, the spokesperson of the party organizing committee, said the committee "would submit the registration of the Mon National Representative Party to the UEC after a meeting between organizers in next two weeks."

So far, the party leaders, chairman or secretary have not been appointed, she said, adding that the 21-member committee would need to discuss leadership further.

Nai Hong Sar, the vice chairman of the New Mon State Party (NMSP), who joined the conference this week, said: "Mon political parties should not be split while Myanmar does not have self-determination or genuine federalism."

The party organizing committee has a 27-member advisory board to which the NMSP – a recent signatory to the nationwide ceasefire agreement – is a member.

The NMPS will remain in its role as a Mon ethnic armed organization and not engage in political activities at this point, said Mi Sandar Nan, adding that the armed group has shared its recommendations regarding the new party though.

"We have to unite now because if not, we will lose votes," Nai Hong Sar said. "Some say it's better to have more parties in a multi-party system, but it doesn't matter in the current situation. Once Mon representatives take political leadership and can lead the Mon State government, it will be okay to have numerous Mon political parties."

"Since 2012, we tried to help two parties – AMDP and MNP – to merge, but they did not. Because of that, we did not do well in the 2015 general election," said U Viara Vansa, a prominent monk who is the chair of the Mon Political Conference.

The monk told The Irrawaddy, "We then tried again for them to merge in 2016 and they still did not. Therefore, the public warned them to come together within a specific timeframe and stated that if they did not, a new party would be formed to truly represent all Mon people. So we have come to this decision."

Despite these efforts, the existing Mon political parties have not participated in the two Mon Political Conferences held to date.

Nyan Soe Win contributed to this report from Moulmein.

The post New Mon Party to Register with Election Commission appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Dozens of Jade Miners Detained in Kachin After Wage Dispute Turns Violent

Posted: 15 May 2018 04:39 AM PDT

MANDALAY — A police officer in the Lone Khin jade mining region of Kachin State said 50 miners were detained on Tuesday after a dispute over unpaid wages with their employer, Yadana Shwe Eaik, turned violent the night before.

According to witnesses, more than 100 mine workers gathered on Monday afternoon at the company’s offices to demand their wages and when tempers flared they destroyed some of Yadana’s heavy machinery and set fire to a building.

"The workers said they did not received their daily wages and salaries yet, and the arguments turned into a protest in the evening. The police were there negotiating between the workers and the company, and the company promised it would pay the daily wages and salaries on Tuesday," said Ko Thein Han, a witness.

"We don't know what sparked the chaos. Some angry men threw stones and destroyed the heavy machinery. Later, the recreation building for the workers was set on fire and the flames spread to the garage and nearby buildings," he added.

Witnesses said dozens of workers rushed into the garage once it caught fire to steal the jade stored inside but were eventually dispersed by police who fired warning rounds into the air.

“We got away from there when the situation started to get bad. We heard the gunfire from afar and later learned that police opened fire to drive away the workers who tried to steal the jade from the burning garage," said Ko Aung Moe, a mine worker.

"The fire ended at about 11 p.m. and police are searching for the suspects who stole jade from the burning garage,” he added.

A local police officer, who asked that his name not be used because he was not authorized to speak with the media, said 50 mine workers were detained on Tuesday and would be sued on several counts, including vandalism, arson, theft, unlawful gathering and insulting police.

He said three civilians received minor injuries during the violence and that police were investigating reports that one man had died.

"We still don't know about the dead person. Since the investigation is ongoing with the detained workers and the company staff, I cannot provide any more information," the officer said.

He said police estimated the value of the stolen jade and property damage at about 114 million kyats ($84,700).

Company representatives could not be reached for comment.

Locals said security remained tight on Tuesday as police continued to search for more suspected thieves. They said wage disputes between the area’s jade mine workers and their employers were common but added that Monday night’s violence was rare.

The post Dozens of Jade Miners Detained in Kachin After Wage Dispute Turns Violent appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Ne Win’s Grandsons Charged With Assaulting Bus Driver

Posted: 15 May 2018 04:09 AM PDT

YANGON — Two grandsons of former military dictator Ne Win are to appear in court on May 25 on charges of assaulting a man who worked as a driver for a company they own.

U Aung Myat, who was formerly employed as a bus driver by Omni Focus YBS Co., claims he was beaten by Kyaw Ne Win and Zwae Ne Win after the bus he was driving was involved in a minor accident with another one of their company's vehicles, adding that he was unfairly dismissed from his job.

The brothers deny the claims and have opened their own case against U Aung Myat alleging careless driving.

U Aung Myat told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that the brothers kicked him while wearing boots, and hit him on the head during the assault.

"Prior to the incident I was involved in a minor accident. I was driving out of a repair shop when another car drove in at the same time. The accident left the other car with a broken window," he said. The vehicle he was driving was also damaged.

After the incident, he and his friend drove back inside the auto shop to have the damage to their vehicle repaired. While they were waiting, he said, Kyaw Ne Win and Zwae Ne Win arrived by car.

U Aung Myat said Kyaw Ne Win, Zwae Ne Win and their driver began beating him and his friend. Kyaw Ne Win kicked him while wearing boots, leaving him with injured ribs on his left side, he said.

"I felt pain and was unable to breathe properly after he kicked me. I couldn't even talk for a while," U Aung Myat said.

U Aung Myat made a complaint against the two brothers at a police station in Hlaing Tharyar Township on May 11, accusing them of assault. The court accepted the case for investigation.

The plaintiff claims Zwae Ne Win also punched him near his ear, while Kyaw Ne Win gripped him by the neck.

Kyaw Ne Win dared him to attempt to take legal action against the pair, he said.

"I told them [the collision] was an accident, and that I had not intended to do it, but they hit me while I was speaking," U Aung Myat said.

As a result of the incident, U Aung Myat said, Kyaw Ne Win and Zwae Ne Win had him fired from Omni Focus YBS. They also confiscated his driving license and refused to pay him salary he was owed, he alleged.

Kyaw Ne Win denied U Aung Myat's claims against him and his brother, telling Burmese-language newspaper 7Day Daily in an article published on Monday that he will fight for justice.

Police charged the brothers with violating Article 202 of the criminal code. The brothers opened their own case against U Aung Myat accusing him of violating Article 277 by driving carelessly.

All three are due to appear in court on May 25, according to U Aung Myat.

"As an employer, he should not beat a worker like this. He could have docked my pay or [taken proper steps to] dismiss me from the company," he said. Such a physical assault is illegal, he said.

Relatives of Ne Win, including his grandsons, have been in trouble with the law in the past, and have drawn accusations of using their grandfather's name to shield them from prosecution.

The post Ne Win's Grandsons Charged With Assaulting Bus Driver appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Tatmadaw Continues Attacks in Kachin State

Posted: 15 May 2018 01:08 AM PDT

YANGON — The Myanmar Army launched three air attacks on Battalion 6 under the Kachin Independence Army (KIA)'s Brigade 2 on Monday morning, said Major Awng Ja, the Battalion 6 commander.

"[The military] dropped bombs around the hill where Battalion 6 is stationed. Clashes are quite fierce," the major told The Irrawaddy.

The attacks caused neither civilian casualties nor damaged villages, he added.

Monday was the third day of attacks carried out by the Myanmar Army, or Tatmadaw, against Battalion 6. The government troops are also currently launching attacks on KIA outposts elsewhere in Kachin State, said U Hsan Awng of the Kachin Peace-talk Creation Group (PCG).

"[The military] has been attacking several [KIA] battalions," he told The Irrawaddy.

The Irrawaddy was not able to obtain comments from the Defense Ministry regarding the attacks.

The commander of the Northern Command Major-General Teza Kyaw in a meeting with local and foreign media on Friday said the Tatmadaw has to carry out attacks for regional stability in Kachin State as well as in response to ambushes by the KIA on Tatmadaw troops.

"In fact, we are only carrying out counterattacks against the KIA," said Maj-Gen Teza Kyaw.

Clashes are likely to continue in Hpakant and Tanai, as the Tatmadaw has brought in reinforcements, said KIA Major Awng Ja.

"Their troops are growing, and we therefore try to avoid clashes as much as possible. But clashes could break out anytime if their troops advance," said the major.

"We would like to mediate, but the Tatmadaw doesn't seem to want to. So, we will wait and see. Only when both sides are willing can we mediate. We've asked both sides to negotiate repeatedly, but have received no reply. So, we wait," said U Hsan Awng of the PCG.

The Tatmadaw launched attacks on gold and amber mines that it said were being illegally operated by the KIA in Kachin State's Tanai in June 2017.

Clashes stopped for a while after KIA Battalion 14 retreated from its headquarters in Hukawng Valley in Tanai on March 14. But on April 6, KIA Battalion 6 attacked the Tatmadaw soldiers providing security in Hpakant, which was followed by military attacks in a number of places including Tanai and Hpakant, forcing thousands of people from their homes.

With the assistance of China, a Tatmadaw delegation led by Lt-Gen Tun Tun Naung and a KIA delegation led by its chairman General N'Ban La met in Yunnan Province on Feb. 1. No agreement was reached at the meeting.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Tatmadaw Continues Attacks in Kachin State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Gap Apologizes for Selling T-shirt With ‘Incorrect Map’ of China

Posted: 14 May 2018 10:08 PM PDT

SHANGHAI — US retailer Gap Inc apologized on Monday for selling a t-shirt which it said had an incorrect map of China, adding it would implement “rigorous reviews” to prevent a repeat mistake.

The apology came after a person posted pictures of the t-shirt on Chinese social media network Weibo, saying that Chinese territories, including south Tibet, the island of Taiwan and the South China Sea, were omitted from the map. The user said the photo of the t-shirt was taken at an outlet store in Canada.

“Gap Inc. respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China. We’ve learned that a Gap brand t-shirt sold in some overseas markets failed to reflect the correct map of China. We sincerely apologize for this unintentional error,” it said in a statement posted on its Weibo account on Monday evening.

It added that the products had been pulled from the Chinese market and destroyed.

Gap’s apology comes as China has been ramping up efforts to police language used to describe Chinese-claimed territories such as Taiwan. Other US companies which have issued apologies for similar incidents include Delta Air Lines and Marriott International Inc.

Earlier this month, the White House sharply criticized China’s efforts to force foreign airlines to change how they described Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau on their websites as “Orwellian nonsense.”

The post Gap Apologizes for Selling T-shirt With 'Incorrect Map' of China appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Malaysia’s Mahathir Vows to Investigate Toppled Government

Posted: 14 May 2018 10:02 PM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad vowed on Monday to investigate faults that may have been committed by the government toppled in last week’s general election, and said all ministries had been instructed not to destroy any documents.

Mahathir announced that he would appoint a new anti-corruption commission chief and replace the attorney-general who had cleared former Prime Minister Najib Razak of wrongdoing in a multi-billion-dollar scandal linked to the 1MDB state fund.

He also told a news conference that his government had a rough idea of the whereabouts of Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho, who is accused of links to a plot to siphon billions of dollars from the fund, 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

Najib set up 1MDB in 2009 and previously served as chairman of its advisory board. He and the fund have denied wrongdoing.

Asked about other possible crimes, Mahathir said: “We cannot do everything at the same time at one go.”

“We have to take time. There are many faults committed by the previous government, but we cannot do everything in one day, so you have to be patient.”

Mahathir, who was Malaysia’s prime minister from 1981 to 2003, led his four-party alliance to victory against Barisan Nasional in last week’s general election, ousting a coalition that had ruled the Southeast Asian nation for six decades.

Moody’s Downbeat

Malaysia’s stock market fell sharply after opening on Monday, the first day of trading since Mahathir’s stunning triumph in the May 9 election. But it later recovered to close the day slightly higher.

Some analysts are concerned over populist promises that Mahathir’s alliance made during the election campaign, including plans to remove a goods and services tax, scrap toll fees, reinstate fuel subsidies and review Chinese investment deals.

Ratings agency Moody’s said on Monday that there was “little clarity” on the new government’s economic policy agenda and that if it fulfilled its campaign promises without adjustments it would be credit negative for the economy.

The main share index was initially dragged lower by falls in financial, telecom and airline shares, especially those with links to the former government, but closed to end the day 0.21 percent higher.

Shares in AirAsia Group Bhd fell as much as 10 percent after its chief Tony Fernandes apologized for endorsing former Prime Minister Najib Razak in the election.

The ringgit currency hit a four-month low of 3.9850 per dollar but stabilized off those lows.

Mahathir said last week that there was enough evidence to investigate Najib’s links to the 1MDB scandal and that authorities had moved to prevent his predecessor from leaving the country.

News broke in 2015 that about $700 million allegedly stolen from 1MDB had made its way into Najib’s personal bank accounts. Najib has said the deposit was a donation by an unnamed member of the Saudi royal family that had been largely returned.

Earlier, state news agency Bernama and other media reported that a former official of the anti-graft agency, MACC, had lodged a report against Najib on suspicion of blocking probes in cases involving 1MDB and a government pension fund.

Mahathir said he would appoint a new MACC chief on Tuesday.

The attorney-general who cleared Najib of wrongdoing in the 1MDB affair, Mohamed Apandi Ali, would be put on leave and replaced by the solicitor-general, he said.

Mohamed Apandi did not respond to a request for comment.

The government has also transferred the top bureaucrat in the finance ministry while the chairman of the state palm oil plantation agency, Felda, has resigned.

The post Malaysia’s Mahathir Vows to Investigate Toppled Government appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

US Criticizes China for Shielding Myanmar from UN Action

Posted: 14 May 2018 09:54 PM PDT

UNITED NATIONS — The United States indirectly criticized China on Monday for shielding Myanmar from strong UN Security Council action over a military crackdown against mainly Rohingya Muslims that the US and other countries have denounced as ethnic cleansing.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley did not mention China by name, but China proposed substantial amendments to a British-drafted Security Council statement on Myanmar last week. The 15-member council eventually agreed on a weaker statement.

The Security Council met on Monday to discuss a visit by envoys to Myanmar and Bangladesh two weeks ago.

Rohingya insurgent attacks on security posts in Myanmar’s Rakhine State in August last year sparked a military operation that sent nearly 700,000 Rohingya fleeing to camps in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh.

“Some members of the council have kept us from taking action for cynical and self-interested reasons,” Haley said. “Some undermined the unity of the council demonstrated during the trip with unhelpful edits that only weakened the council’s message.”

Speaking before Haley, China’s UN Ambassador Ma Zhaoxu told the Security Council that Myanmar and Bangladesh should be encouraged to solve the crisis bilaterally to make sure it doesn’t “drag on or become more complicated.”

“The council should continue to encourage Myanmar and Bangladesh to increase consultations and cooperation for the early implementation of the bilateral arrangement,” he said.

Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed in January to complete the voluntary repatriation of the refugees within two years but differences between the two sides remain and implementation of the plan has been slow.

Diplomats said Russia has also backed China in council discussions on Myanmar.

Speaking after Haley, Russia’s deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy said the unity of the council on the issue was important and he hoped some members “will not fall prey to the temptation of using this situation to pursue their narrow, domestic political aims.”

Fleeing refugees have reported killings, rapes and arson on a large scale. Myanmar denies ethnic cleansing and has said its operations in Rakhine were a legitimate response to attacks on security forces by Rohingya insurgents.

“The government of Myanmar has stated time and again that no violation of human rights will be condoned,” Myanmar’s UN Ambassador Hau Do Suan told council on Monday. “Allegations supported by evidence will be investigated and action taken in accordance with the law.”

The United States and Canada have imposed unilateral sanctions against a general in Myanmar’s military for his role in the crackdown and the European Union is preparing individual sanctions.

Haley, who did not travel to Myanmar and Bangladesh, said that the Security Council had “unique tools to encourage Burma to take real steps towards resolving this crisis,” though she did not elaborate.

“We should move quickly to adopt a resolution that institutes real steps to resolve this enormous and growing humanitarian and human rights crisis,” Haley said.

The post US Criticizes China for Shielding Myanmar from UN Action appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Ten Things to Do in Yangon This Week

Posted: 14 May 2018 09:21 PM PDT

Cute Baby and Smart Kids Fair

There will be playgrounds, sports events, and fun fairs for kids, baby accessories on sale, and international schools offering discounted enrollment rates.

May 17 to 20, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tatmadaw Exhibition Center, U Wisara Road.

Journey of the Blood Jade

The exhibition features photos about jade mining in Kachin State's Hpakant Township and the plight of jade mine workers.

May 16 to 18, 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Yangon Gallery, People's Square.

Us & Beyond

The exhibition features diverse works by members of the Thuma Collective.

May 19 to June 2. Myanmar Deitta Gallery, No.49, 44th St. (3rd floor).

Study in Japan

Opportunities to study at language schools, colleges and universities in Japan will be explained.

May 19, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. ES4E College, corner of Waizayanta Road and Lay Dauk Kan Road, Thingangyun Township. Tel: 09-443367613.

From Craft to Art: Myanmar Crafts Exhibition

The exhibition presents Myanmar arts and crafts.

May 18 to 22, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. New Zero Art Space, No. 202, United Condo (2nd floor), Ah Lan Pya Pagoda Rd., Dagon Township.

China-Myanmar Trade Fair

The event will showcase Chinese goods and products.

May 17 to 19, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Myanmar Event Park.

Career Talks

The founder and principal of the Myanmar Leadership and Management Institute will give talks on "ways to build brighter futures for youths."

May 20, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sule Shangrila Hotel.

IDAHOT Day Celebration

IDAHOT is the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.

May 17, 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Myanma Plaza.

Sense of Light and Drama

Six artists will showcase their works in watercolor.

May 18 to 20. OK Art Gallery, Aung San Stadium (north wing).

Complicit

Poet-turned-visual artist Maung Day will feature his work.

May 12 to 25, 11 p.m. to 5 p.m. Myanm/art, No. 98, Bogalay Zay St. (3rd floor).

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