Monday, September 17, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

KNU Concerned Group Backs Call for Military Leaders to Face ICC

Posted: 17 Sep 2018 06:34 AM PDT

CHIANG MAI, Thailand — The KNU Concerned Group, led by the former vice chairperson of the Karen National Union, has endorsed the report of the independent International Fact Finding Mission on Myanmar (IFFM) and its recommendations, including that Myanmar be referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity in Kachin, Shan and Rakhine states.

Minority ethnic groups including Kachin and Karen civil society organizations and the Ta'ang National Liberation Army have voiced support for the call by the United Nations Security Council to refer Myanmar to the ICC since the IFFM's report — which was released on Aug. 27 — was submitted to the 39th session of the UN Human Rights Council this month.

"The pattern of crimes committed against the ethnic Karen and other ethnic populations are part of the Myanmar Tatmadaw's strategy to terrorize, subjugate and ethnic cleanse, as happened to the Rohingya people in Rakhine state," the KNU Concerned Group's statement released on Sept. 14 reads.

Naw Zipporah Sein, the head of the KNU Concerned Group, said, "We have been suffering from the same pattern of human rights violations in the past, and at present, by the Tatmadaw. The perpetrators and violators are from the same institution, regardless of the time and region."

In the past, the Karen have lacked this kind of international support, including calls for the referral of Myanmar to the ICC. Naw Zipporah Sein said, "I support it because the incidents cited in the report are similar to what happened to us."

Her group's statement adds that the Tatmadaw's "widespread and systematic violations, including crimes against humanity and war crimes" have been committed against the ethnic Karen, Kachin, Shan, Karenni and others for decades. It cites their own experiences of having thousands of villages burnt down; hundreds of thousands of orchards and areas of farmland destroyed; thousands of people—including children and the elderly—killed; hundreds of women raped and killed; and many hundreds of thousands of people uprooted from their homes and displaced.

Since 2017 the KNU Concerned Group has analyzed current political trends and frequently shared its opinions with the public. Naw Zipporah Sein said the group comprises former KNU Central Committee members, adding that none of them has a current political role in the KNU.

She told The Irrawaddy, "The military controls everything, including the peace negotiations, and the military also commits these crimes. If they are willing to change, they must prove it."

While the KNU's top leadership has had a very close relationship with the chief of the Tatmadaw (or Myanmar military), the group has been engaged in frequent clashes this year with Tatmadaw troops, particularly in Papun district, in the area controlled by the KNU's Brigade Five.

The KNU Central Committee denies any affiliation with the KNU Concerned Group.

"This is the opinion of a group of people who use the KNU name and it is a typical move," said Padoh Saw Hla Tun, a secretary of the KNU.

"We have no comment, as they currently do not hold any leadership position in the KNU," he said.

The post KNU Concerned Group Backs Call for Military Leaders to Face ICC appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Thousands Protest Woman’s Abduction by Armed Group in Shan State

Posted: 17 Sep 2018 06:28 AM PDT

MANDALAY — Thousands of people protested in Shan State on Monday to demand that the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) release an ethnic Shan woman the armed group abducted last month.

About 10,000 locals walking down the main road of Namhkam Township carrying banners and photos of Nang Mo Hom and shouted slogans urging the TNLA to release her immediately.

"Even though there are calls from her relatives, locals and the NRPC [National Reconciliation and Peace Center], the TNLA shows no sign of releasing her. So we've gathered to express our feelings," said Namhkam resident Nang Thin Thin Aye, one of the demonstrators.

Monday’s protest was the second in Namhkam calling for Nang Mo Hom’s release this month.

"It’s not only for her release. We want to show that we are living in fear, that we don't know who is going to be kidnapped next and put on trial under their [the TNLA's] laws," Nang Thin Thin Aye said. "We just want the TNLA to release her. If she really broke the law, let her face trial in an official court, not theirs."

Protesters said Nang Mo Hom’s abduction has also fueled misconceptions between the area’s ethnic Shan and Ta’ang communities and that they wanted to stem any mistrust,

"Another reason we want the TNLA to act immediately is to ease tensions between ethnic Shan and Ta'ang people, who have lived peacefully in the past. If they release her now, there will be no tension and everything will be ok," Nang Thin Thin Aye said.

Nang Mo Hom, a mother of three, was abducted from her home in Namhkam Township on Aug. 17 at gunpoint by five TNLA soldiers. She has been held incommunicado since and her condition is unknown.

The Youth Network of Namhkam issued a statement following the abduction condemning the TNLA and demanding the woman’s release. It claims the TNLA had accused Nang Mo Hom of informing on two of its members who attempted to collect “taxes” in the area and were later shot and detained by the Myanmar army. Nang Mo Hom’s family denies that she was an informant.

The Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), a local political party, also called for her immediate released and wrote to the NRPC asking it to intervene.

On Sept. 10 the NRPC called for the immediate release of Nang Mo Hom. It said the abduction was unlawful and harmed the national peace process.

Earlier this month, the TNLA said Nang Mo Hom was on trial by the armed group for allegedly obstructing its troops from performing their duties, in violation of TNLA “laws.” It did not elaborate.

The post Thousands Protest Woman’s Abduction by Armed Group in Shan State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

European Film Festival to Bring More Real Life and Love to the Screens

Posted: 17 Sep 2018 05:28 AM PDT

YANGON—Myanmar's oldest international film event, the European Film Festival will be held for the 27th year on September 21 to 30 at Yangon's oldie-but-goodie Nay Pyi Taw Cinema and the newly-renovated Goethe Institute.

The festival is organized by the European Union in Myanmar in collaboration with Goethe Institute Myanmar for all film lovers in Yangon and it aims to promote cultural exchange between Myanmar and Europe while showcasing the diversity of European films.

The festival will showcase a total of seventeen contemporary films, each from a different country, including three non-member countries of the European Union, Norway, Switzerland and Israel.

Kristian Schmidt, Ambassador of the European Union to Myanmar, said "European films have their own, special nature and they are often ironic, unexpected, and seldom heroic. That is what makes their stories so interesting and the films relevant to everyone."

He added, "The film festival will screen 17 different cultures from a total 17 countries with their own languages. We hope that the audiences will get in touch with our cultural differences, we all have a shared humanity."

The film festival drew more than 10,000 visitors last year and the team hopes to see even more attendees this year.

"In 1990, the Myanmar Motion Picture Organization was making transformations and changes. I was one of the team members and we made a policy to collaborate with international film organizations and make more movements and learn techniques so we were able to bring the European Film Festival to Myanmar from that time until now," said Daw Swe Zin Htike, one of Myanmar's award-winning actresses and a member of the official censorship board.

"Films from Hollywood are commercial and they focus on entertaining people but films from Europe are mostly art-house films which show more about peoples' lives and feelings. Myanmar people are not very familiar with art-house films. That is one of the main reasons for bringing the European Film Festival to Myanmar," she said.

All the films for the festival have to be submitted to an official censorship board comprised of members of the Ministry of Information and the Myanmar Motion Picture Organization, in order to get permission to be screened at Nay Pyi Taw Cinema.

"We didn't cut any scenes from the films but in some cases which are not relevant to local people, we covered the subjects," said Daw Swe Zin Htike.

The films to be screened at the Goethe Institute do not need to be submitted to the censorship board and audiences will be able to see the uncensored versions.

The French film "Django" will be the opening film this year and it will be screened on Friday, September 21 at Nay Pyi Taw Cinema. It is based on the extraordinary life of jazz legend Django Reinhardt.

"Most of the European films are focusing on portraying the emotions of people so audiences might get bored in the first few scenes but it gets more and more exciting later on," said Franz Xaver Augustin, Director of the Goethe Institute Myanmar.

Another interesting film in the lineup is the Austrian film "Egon Schiele—Death and the Maiden" which is about a famous painter Egon Schiele who challenged social conventions with his art and lifestyle.

The Golden Globe Award-winning German film 'In the Fade' is also the must-watch one. Between 2000 and 2007 nine migrants were murdered in different Germany cities, most of them of Turkish descent. 'In the Fade' is not specifically based on one of these murders but has its own plot in Hamburg.

Another interesting film with an LGBT-theme is 'Boys,' from the Netherlands. The film shows the struggle teenagers have with their feelings, identity confusion and acceptance and is also a beautiful love story of two boys.

The festival will also showcase the documentary film about Grammy Award Winning Jazz artist Amy Winehouse who died of alcohol poisoning at the age of 27. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts award-winning director Asif Kapadia shows the heart-breaking journey of the young British Artist with extensive unseen footage.

All films are shown in their original language with English subtitles and tickets for the films are free but given on a first-come-first-serve basis at both venues one hour to 15 minutes before the scheduled screening.

For the full screening schedule, check their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/europeanfilmfestival.yangon.

The post European Film Festival to Bring More Real Life and Love to the Screens appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Military Chief’s Russian Social Media Account Removed, Reappears

Posted: 17 Sep 2018 03:51 AM PDT

YANGON — Just over two weeks after Myanmar’s military chief had found a new propaganda platform on VKontakte (VK), Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing was removed from Russia’s most popular social media network over the weekend.

It was the second time the country's top military leader was banned from a social networking site.

In late August, US-based social media giant Facebook announced that it had deleted the pages and accounts of 20 organizations and individuals — including Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing — that "committed or enabled serious human rights abuses in [Myanmar]." The network’s statement followed on the heels of a report by the UN’s human rights office that found those Facebook accounts and pages had contributed to human rights abuses, especially to last year’s Rohingya crisis in northern Rakhine State.

The senior-general migrated to VK less than 48 hours after his Facebook account was shut down.

His new page, named “Senior General Min Aung Hlaing,” was blocked on Saturday night. Visitors were greeted by a short message that said “This page has been blocked due to violation of the VK terms of service” but provided no further explanation.

Minutes later, however, a new VK page appeared under the same name with the military chief’s picture, but with none of the old posts. The first post on the new page was dated Saturday and was about his meeting with military officers in Kalaw Township, Shan State. On Monday, the new page had some 4,600 followers.

Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing’s Facebook page had been relatively active and up to date compared with the pages of many of Myanmar’s politicians and government agencies, including the President’s Office and the State Counselor’s Office. It posted information about the military's chief activities and important statements in real time. When the senior general met a foreign dignitary about the Rohingya crisis, the page posted a lengthy defense of the military’s activities in Rakhine.

The post Military Chief’s Russian Social Media Account Removed, Reappears appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

NLD Must Act to Avoid Another Coup: USDP Spokesperson

Posted: 17 Sep 2018 03:47 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW — Amid growing concerns of an impending coup staged by the Tatmadaw (Myanmar Army) as a result of recent political circumstances, the opposition Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) has said that the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) has a responsibility to avert one.

"It depends on the policies and actions of the current government. It is [the NLD's] responsibility to implement the right policies and provide leadership to prevent a reverse in the transition period," USDP spokesperson U Nanda Hla Myint told The Irrawaddy.

The country is facing racial and religious conflicts and is under greater international pressure, he said. As well as an economic crisis, the rule of law has weakened with peace nowhere in sight, he added.

More than two years into the NLD's administration, people are starting to worry that the country's democratization will reverse, he said.

Unlike President U Thein Sein's administration, the NLD-led government lacks cooperation, said U Nanda Hla Myint.

"[The NLD-led government] consults no one and cooperates with no one. If it thinks highly of itself and acts without regard for the opinion of others, then the situation that people dread may reoccur any time," he said ahead of an International Democracy Day event, which fell on Saturday.

The Union Parliament on Saturday observed International Democracy Day with an event around the theme of "oversight."

U Aung Kyi Nyunt, a central executive committee member of the NLD, said: "Nothing has happened yet, and there is no point in finding someone to blame for a coup which has not yet happened. There is nothing to worry about."

Democracy is about cooperation according to the wishes of the majority, and not about the majority doing as they like whether it is right or wrong, said military representative of the Upper House of parliament Colonel Than Htike during the event to mark International Democracy Day.

"All have to cooperate to ensure right and fair democratic practices in order to bring about national development. This can't be done by an individual," he said.

Whether the country will reverse or not depends on the management of the government, said U Nanda Hla Myint, adding that the military-drafted 2008 Constitution states that the Tatmadaw has to protect the country if its sovereignty is at risk.

"It will mainly depend on cooperation, effort and the leadership of the government to avoid it. But if that happens [that the national sovereignty is threatened], the Tatmadaw, being the last fort, can't just stand by. If it stands by, it would be to blame in the country's history," he said.

The Tatmadaw has staged two coups—the first in 1962 by the late dictator General Ne Win, and the second by late General Saw Maung on the instruction of General Ne Win in 1988. In 2010, a general election was held in accordance with the military-drafted 2008 Constitution and power was transferred to their hand-picked president, ex-general U Thein Sein.

The post NLD Must Act to Avoid Another Coup: USDP Spokesperson appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Yangon Residents Dissatisfied with Municipal Services

Posted: 17 Sep 2018 03:09 AM PDT

YANGON — Yangon residents are not happy with the public utilities of the Yangon municipality, indicates a recent survey.

A local civil society group called Alin Say Taman or Herald of the Light Library and Resource Center conducted the survey in March this year, seeking public opinion on the performance of the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC).

The group released the survey report on Saturday, which indicated general dissatisfaction over the YCDC's public service delivery.

"We want to highlight the requirements of people and make sure that taxpayers get adequate service for their money," said Ma Ohmar, of the civil society group when explaining the purpose of the survey.

The random survey was carried out on 1,205 people aged above 18 in 33 townships in municipal areas of the commercial capital. People were not satisfied with garbage collection, drainage, roads or sidewalks in the city.

Herald of the Light Library and Resource Center launched its report on Sept. 15. / Thazin Hlaing / The Irrawaddy

Regarding the drainage system, 64 percent of respondents were not satisfied while 15 percent said drainage was good and 21 percent said they did not know.

Sixty-five percent of respondents said streets and sidewalks were not clean and tidy. Municipal garbage collection was graded as poor by 46 percent, fair by 17 percent, good by 11 percent and very good by 26 percent.

Seventy-nine percent of the respondents said they would pay more to get better services.

"I doubted that people would be willing to pay an additional 1,000 kyats for better garbage collection," said Daw Mya Nandar Thin, executive director of the New Myanmar Foundation, which took part in the survey.

"But not only residents from the downtown area, also residents from places like Hlaingtharyar and South Dagon said they were ready to pay up to 1,000 kyats more rather than live beside huge garbage piles," she said.

"People are not hesitant to pay higher service charges if the municipality provides good service," said Ma Lei Lei Swe, a resident of Bahan Township.

Alin Say Taman group was founded in 2008 and has since engaged in educating the public about democracy and elections. Earlier this year, it conducted campaigns to encourage public participation in designing the new municipal law of Yangon, which took effect as of June 28.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Yangon Residents Dissatisfied with Municipal Services appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Myanmar to Sign UN Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty

Posted: 17 Sep 2018 01:35 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW — Military representatives to Myanmar's Parliament discussed in favor of signing the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) during the parliamentary session on Friday.

As lawmakers debated President U Win Myint's proposal to sign the TPNW, military representative to the Lower House Lieutenant-Colonel Zaw Tun Oo said the signing would clear up the doubts as to whether Myanmar is developing nuclear weapons.

Myanmar attracted global concern in the 2000s when the country's then military rulers maintained close relations with North Korea regarding arms sales, nuclear missile development and nuclear warhead technology.

The Washington-based Nuclear Threat Initiative said Myanmar had developed relations with North Korea in the hope of receiving missile and nuclear weapon technologies.

"If we sign the agreement, this will clear up the past accusations against our country and the Tatmadaw. Besides, this will also contribute to our country being able to use nuclear energy peacefully. So, I'd like to urge [the Parliament] to weigh the national interests," said the lieutenant-colonel.

Myanmar is sandwiched between two big nuclear-armed states, and in case of a nuclear threat, it can seek help from the international community after signing the treaty, he said.

Myanmar's Tatmadaw wants to have nuclear technologies, not to produce weapons of mass destruction but to use in the medical, science, technology, and energy sectors according to international norms, said the military representative.

Lawmakers also discussed in favor signing the treaty, saying that it would boost the country's image.

"By signing the treaty, Myanmar will be recognized by international countries as a responsible country," said Dr. San Maung Maung, Upper House lawmaker from Bago Region.

The treaty is not yet in force but will enter into force with ratification by more countries, said Union minister for International Cooperation U Kyaw Tin.

The treaty includes a comprehensive set of prohibitions on participating in any nuclear weapon activities. These include undertakings not to develop, test, produce, acquire, possess, stockpile, use or threaten to use nuclear weapons.

The Union Parliament approved signing the treaty, and the Myanmar delegation will sign it at the ceremony to ratify international treaties from September 26-28 during the 73rd United Nations General Assembly in New York, said the minister.

Though the treaty will not lead to the total elimination of nuclear weapons, it allows non-nuclear weapon states to put political pressure on countries with nuclear weapons, said U Kyaw Tin.

The treaty obliges State parties to provide adequate assistance to individuals affected by the use or testing of nuclear weapons, as well as to take necessary and appropriate measures of environmental remediation in areas under its jurisdiction or control contaminated as a result of activities related to the testing or use of nuclear weapons.

The treaty was adopted in July 2017 during the UN General Assembly. Through August 23, 2018, 60 countries ratified it and 14 countries were approved.

Myanmar signed the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in 2012, Biological Weapons Convention in 2014, Chemical Weapons Convention in 2015, and Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty in 2016.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Myanmar to Sign UN Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Leader of Hpa-an Prison Break Shot by Police, Died in Hospital

Posted: 16 Sep 2018 11:22 PM PDT

Of 41 prisoners who escaped from Hpa-an Prison on Sunday morning, 14 have been recaptured, according to reports from police in the city of Hpa-an, the capital of Karen State.

"We cooperated with other friendship organizations including community leaders to arrest the escaped prisoners. We were able to arrest 14 people before 7 p.m.," said a report posted on the Hpa-an Township Police Facebook page on Sunday night.

The inmates of Hpa-an Prison, located in Taungkalay Village, were clearing bushes inside the prison grounds on Sunday morning. Some of the prisoners beat a truck driver, a member of the prison staff, who intended to load rubbish and cleared vegetation on the truck to be taken outside. Police reports say he was wounded in the attack and is receiving treatment in hospital.

The prisoners were able to drive out of the prison as soon as they seized the truck. They drove about 22.5 kilometers (14 miles) outside the village and ran into nearby jungle and other villages to hide.

Among the escapees, a number of them are serving long sentences, according to the police. The recaptured prisoners are serving sentences of six months to 13 years.

Meanwhile, police have requested that the public cooperates with them for the arrest of the escapees who are still on the run or in hiding. The police have published photos of the escaped prisoners online and have asked the public to inform them if they are seen.

The police have launched a search party and deployed a number of police vehicles in a major search operation launched yesterday in the area around Hpa-an Township, with Police Colonel Aung Myat Moe leading the operation.

Inmate Kyaw Main Hla, who lead the prison break, was shot yesterday during the police search operation and died later in hospital in Hpa-an. He had been serving a life sentence at the time of the escape.

"He was wounded and died in the hospital," said U Kyin Naing, a local police officer who participating in the manhunt.

U Kyin Naing said the police are still searching for the other escaped prisoners in the jungles around the nearby villages.

"We are investigating where they are hiding," he said.

The Myanmar Army, the local police force and the Karen Border Guard Force are meanwhile working together in the joint search operation to locate and recapture the escaped prisoners. Police are publishing ongoing reports on the manhunt operations online.

The post Leader of Hpa-an Prison Break Shot by Police, Died in Hospital appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

The Strange Birds Behind the ’88 Coup

Posted: 16 Sep 2018 11:12 PM PDT

Thirty years ago Tuesday, a coup d’état saw the government of General Ne Win toppled and replaced by General Saw Maung and his deputy General Than Shwe — the man who would go on to orchestrate Myanmar’s transition to quasi-civilian rule. In this story, first published in the September 2013 edition of The Irrawaddy magazine, founder Aung Zaw looks at some of the colorful characters in the halls of power at the time.

Retired Gen. Kyaw Win is a keen observer. These days, he devotes what's left of his failing eyesight to his two passions: photography and bird-watching. But in the past, when he served as number two in Myanmar's once dreaded spy agency, he was regularly witness to far more intriguing things.

In April 1992, when Gen. Saw Maung, the leader of the military regime formed in 1988 to "restore order" after crushing pro-democracy protests in a bloody coup, was informed by then military intelligence chief and junta Secretary One Gen. Khin Nyunt that he had been "permitted to retire due to health reasons," Kyaw Win was there.

"Don't abandon us," the visibly shaken Saw Maung said to Khin Nyunt, fearing that he and his family were about to be placed under house arrest.

Long before Saw Maung lost his hold on power, he seemed to be losing his grip on reality. Kyaw Win recalled how Myanmar's top general once started engaging in a conversation with a Buddha image at a famous shrine in Upper Myanmar. After that, he began declaring himself the reincarnation of the 11th century warrior-king Kyansittha and claimed he could see into the future.

"He didn't sleep at all," Kyaw Win said of his former boss, who was clearly suffering from a nervous breakdown and had become dangerously paranoid (on one occasion, Kyaw Win said, the senior general brandished his revolver at some soldiers who had come to welcome him and his wife to a reception).

At one point, then Col. Kyaw Win saw Saw Maung summon regional commanders based in northern Myanmar to Mandalay to demand to know if they still supported him.

In fact, Saw Maung owed his powerful position to Gen. Ne Win, the dictator who had been forced to step down after massive protests calling for his ouster took place around the country. Saw Maung, who was then serving as commander in chief of the armed forces, was called to the former dictator's residence along with his deputy Gen. Than Shwe and Ne Win's trusted spy chief Khin Nyunt. Their orders were to stage a coup.

After the military seized power on Sept. 18, 1988, Saw Maung triumphantly declared that he had "saved the nation," but the sullen Than Shwe didn't utter a word.

From the beginning, Than Shwe was aloof from the other members of the junta, preferring the company of loyal subordinates. Among them was Kyaw Win, who had served under the taciturn general in Shan State in the early 1980s, and stayed close to him throughout the remainder of his military career.

During all their years together, however, Than Shwe never discussed politics with Kyaw Win. But in a sign that even early on he did not trust Khin Nyunt, he assigned Kyaw Win to act as the spy chief's deputy.

Reporting back on Khin Nyunt's words and actions was not difficult: All of the top leaders slept at the War Office from 1988 until the capital was moved to Naypyitaw in 2005. Kyaw Win and other trusted aides would often massage Than Shwe in his bed until he fell asleep. The powerful general also liked listening to their gossip and jokes, and sometimes, even after it seemed that he had already drifted off to sleep, he would laugh out loud at some amusing anecdote the officers were sharing among themselves.

Kyaw Win also knew that his boss had a deep-seated distrust of intellectuals and didn't like having educated people around him. Despite being a graduate of Yangon University, however, Kyaw Win seemed to have won his trust.

Another thing he knew about Than Shwe was that he regarded Myanmar, a nation wedged between the world's two most populous countries, India and China, as uniquely vulnerable. For this reason, he believed that it needed a special military budget to build a strong army and acquire nuclear weapons. With money from state-owned enterprises and the sale of natural gas, he moved the capital to central Myanmar and built tunnels and launched a nascent nuclear weapons program.

Meanwhile, Khin Nyunt and his feared Military Intelligence were busy running torture chambers and chasing after dissidents. This part of their operation was sanctioned by Than Shwe; but the dossiers they were collecting on corruption within the regime apparently wasn't.

In the early days, Than Shwe was regarded as quite clean. But from around the early 2000s, several ministers and powerful generals had begun seeking favors. Usually, they just paid visits to his home, where they could count on a friendly welcome if they came bearing gifts for his family. This has been called "kitchen politics"—currying favor with Myanmar's top family through the back door.

Kyaw Win's disapproval of this development made him and other aides who believed it was part of their job to "keep the businessmen at bay" less than popular with Than Shwe's wife Daw Kyaing Kyaing and other close relatives. But the senior leader continued to entrust him with important missions, such as maintaining contacts with intelligence agencies in neighboring countries and acting as a messenger between himself and opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who was then under house arrest. His most important duty, however, was to continue monitoring Khin Nyunt.

Once regarded as a natural successor to Than Shwe, the spy chief never imagined that he would one day be removed from power, despite warnings from his subordinates that he was vulnerable to just such a fate.

The trouble came as powerful generals and commanders in the army's infantry units learned that they were secretly being investigated. Infantry and intelligence units were always at loggerheads, and it became clear that Khin Nyunt's intelligence unit was building a state within a state. For years, Than Shwe was urged to put the spy chief in his place—something he had probably wanted to do all along.

Of course, Kyaw Win played a role in Khin Nyunt's downfall, making sure that all of his reports on his immediate superior reached his real boss via Gen. Shwe Mann, the current speaker of Myanmar's Lower House of Parliament, who was then the joint chief of staff of army, navy and air force and the third most powerful member of the junta.

To neutralize Khin Nyunt, Than Shwe appointed him prime minister and asked him to hand his duties as spy chief over to Myint Swe, one of Than Shwe's loyal subordinates and now chief minister of Yangon Region.

But Khin Nyunt refused to play along, and later, Than Shwe learned that he had threatened at a cabinet meeting to expose corruption among military commanders and ministers.

In the end, Than Shwe didn't have to do a thing. "Do what you have to do," he said, and soon the problem was taken care of. The infantry commanders, who had a plan in place and had long waited to hear these words, moved swiftly. They arrested Khin Nyunt and threw everyone close to him into prison. Within hours, Khin Nyunt's spy network was dismantled.

That was in October 2004. When Khin Nyunt, who had been summoned to the office of the junta's number two Gen. Maung Aye shortly after getting off a plane in Yangon, was told to "go home," he replied sarcastically that he was "delighted" to do so. He knew he had no choice: All of the other senior junta members—except Than Shwe—were there. He was escorted back to his home, and after years as one of Myanmar's most feared men, he became just another prisoner of one of the world's most repressive regimes.

Although Than Shwe left the dirty business of dealing with Khin Nyunt to his subordinates, he was in full control of what came after. He reinforced his own power base, locked up more dissidents, and pushed ahead with drafting a constitution that would cement the military's role in Myanmar politics. Finally, after holding a rigged election in 2010 that delivered a landslide victory to the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), he stepped out of the limelight and remains comfortably retired in his fortress-like mansion in Naypyitaw.

During his tenure as Myanmar's supreme leader, Than Shwe also placed Ne Win under house arrest. Unlike Khin Nyunt, Than Shwe was not close to the former dictator. After Saw Maung, who died of heart failure in 1997, was forced to step down, Than Shwe never bothered to visit the mastermind behind the 1988 coup. Perhaps he had hated him all along.

Khin Nyunt, once dubbed Myanmar's "prince of evil" by the foreign media, was released from house arrest in early 2012, and now lives as a private citizen. When asked to account for some of the things he did when he was still in power, he insists he was just following orders. Those orders came, of course, from Than Shwe.

Kyaw Win witnessed all of this and more. Now more interested in his avian friends, however, he says he has nothing to say about the current role, if any, of his former boss in Myanmar's political affairs. But for those of us who have watched Than Shwe eliminate his rivals one by one over the past two decades, it's difficult to imagine that he isn't still keeping an eagle eye on everything from his safe, secluded perch, ready to swoop down on anyone who threatens his talon-like hold on power.

The post The Strange Birds Behind the ’88 Coup appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

China Provinces Braced for Heavy Rainfall as Typhoon Heads West

Posted: 16 Sep 2018 08:41 PM PDT

SHANGHAI — China’s southern regions faced more heavy rainfall on Monday as a devastating typhoon swept west, with key transport services already suspended and millions of residents forced to evacuate, the country’s weather bureau said.

Tropical cyclone Mangkhut made landfall in the southeast Chinese province of Guangdong on Sunday after causing devastation in the Philippines, where the death toll was expected to exceed 50.

The China Meteorological Administration said early on Monday rainfall from the typhoon, dubbed the “King of Storms," was expected to reach 100-160 millimeters (4-6 inches).

It said Mangkhut was located in Hengxian in Guangxi at 6 a.m. (2200 GMT Sunday) and had weakened to a “tropical storm." The storm was also due to hit the regions of Guizhou, Chongqing and Yunnan on Monday.

The meteorological administration said Mangkhut was one of the 10 biggest storms to hit southeast China since 1949, with wind speeds at around 162 km/h (100 mph).

Two people were reported to have been killed in Guangdong, China’s most populous province. More than 2.45 million residents were relocated, state media reported.

China’s emergency management ministry, which deals with natural disasters, said in a notice late on Sunday it had already sent 24,000 officers to vulnerable parts of Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, Guizhou and Yunnan.

Authorities throughout those regions had been urged to dismantle structures vulnerable to heavy winds, strengthen port facilities and suspend large outdoor gatherings, the meteorological administration said.

The post China Provinces Braced for Heavy Rainfall as Typhoon Heads West appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Hong Kong, Southern China Mop Up After Super Typhoon

Posted: 16 Sep 2018 08:36 PM PDT

SHANGHAI — The financial hub of Hong Kong began clearing up on Monday after being battered by one of the strongest typhoons in recent years, with financial markets and offices operating as normal.

Super typhoon Mangkhut, with hurricane-force winds well over 200 kilometers per hour (124 miles/h), had barreled past the northern tip of the Philippines, killing at least 50 people. It then skirted south of Hong Kong and the neighboring gambling hub of Macau, before making landfall in China.

Parts of Hong Kong and Macau were severely flooded, though there were no immediate reports of any fatalities. Two people were reported killed in Guangdong, China’s most populous province and home to over 100 million residents, state media reported.

The China Meteorological Administration said the typhoon, dubbed “King of Storms," swept west to Guangxi province at 6 a.m. (2200 GMT on Sunday) and weakened to a “tropical storm." It forecast the storm to hit the regions of Guizhou, Chongqing and Yunnan on Monday.

The meteorological administration said Mangkhut was one of the 10 biggest storms to hit southeast China since 1949 – when records began – with wind speeds at around 162 km/h.

Across Hong Kong, authorities strived to clear roads of debris, including toppled trees and bamboo scaffolding. Some buildings, including the One Harbourfront office tower, had many windows smashed after a day in which some of the city’s skyscrapers had swayed with the ferocious gusts.

“Yesterday’s storm was very strong. Even for a person of my weight, I was about to be blown down by the wind which made me very scared,” said a 70-year-old resident surnamed Fung.

“It was very serious this time.”

Stock and financial markets opened as normal on Monday in Hong Kong and the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.

Some transport services remained suspended, though flights in the region were slowly resuming after a shutdown on Sunday, stranding many thousands of passengers.

In Macau, badly hit by a super typhoon last year, authorities were much more prepared this time, ordering casinos to close late on Saturday night as the storm approached.

Casinos were operational again early on Monday though authorities were still struggling to restore power to some of the 20,000 households that suffered power cuts.

Macau gambling stocks were down in early Monday trade.

The post Hong Kong, Southern China Mop Up After Super Typhoon appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Myanmar Youth, Journalists Demonstrate Against Jailing of Reuters Reporters

Posted: 16 Sep 2018 08:28 PM PDT

YANGON — At least 100 Myanmar youth activists and journalists called for the release of two jailed Reuters journalists on Sunday, warning that the seven-year prison terms handed to the pair this month threaten the public’s right to information.

Demonstrators including high school students gathered peacefully in the heart of Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon, held signs and chanted slogans denouncing the guilty verdict against the two journalists. A small contingent of police looked on as the protesters released black balloons printed with the words “Free Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo."

Reporters Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, were convicted on Sept. 3 under the colonial-era Official Secrets Act in a case that was seen as a test of democratic freedoms in Myanmar.

Thar Lun Zaung Htet, a journalist involved in organizing the protest, said the verdict against reporters who were “just doing their job” would stifle reporting in Myanmar.

“Losing press freedom means our democratic transition is going backwards,” he said.

The verdict drew calls from senior United Nations officials, political figures including US Vice President Mike Pence and human rights advocates around the world for their immediate release.

Government spokesman Zaw Htay could not be reached for comment on Sunday.

The country’s leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said at a forum in Hanoi last week the case had nothing to do with freedom of expression. The reporters had been sentenced for handling official secrets and “were not jailed because they were journalists," the Nobel laureate said.

On Friday six Myanmar journalist organizations published a rare statement from groups within the country criticizing the country’s leader, saying they were “disappointed” with her comments.

The reporters, who plead not guilty, said they were handed rolled papers by police shortly before they were detained last December, and a police witness testified in court that they had been set up.

The reporters had been investigating the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men and boys by security forces and local Buddhists amid a military response to insurgent attacks last August.

Some 700,000 Rohingya crossed from Myanmar into Bangladesh fleeing the crackdown, which UN-mandated investigators said last month was launched by senior Myanmar generals with “genocidal intent."

Signs held by the protesters on Sunday included the messages “Murder is not a state secret” and “revealing the truth is not a crime."

One organizer, Maung Saung Kha, performed a short play where he put on a military jacket over the orange traditional Burmese jacket worn by lawmakers of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy. He then rolled up a copy of the state-run daily The Mirror and began hitting members of the press with it.

Activist Htet Khine Soe said the “injustice” of the case against the reporters had led him to design a T-shirt with an illustration of Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo’s faces. The design was worn by some demonstrators and was also used on stickers placed around Yangon.

“We need to know what’s happening in the world. We need journalists for that,” he said. “Without that, we will be stupid people without ears and eyes.”

The post Myanmar Youth, Journalists Demonstrate Against Jailing of Reuters Reporters appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
Posted by at No comments:

Saturday, September 15, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

A Slice of Heritage: Dining in Yangon’s Top Heritage Restorations

Posted: 14 Sep 2018 09:07 PM PDT

YANGON — Visitors and residents in Myanmar's commercial capital often find themselves enamored with the rich heritage architecture of downtown Yangon. The stately structures with grand facades, towering columns and repetitive arches give a sense of bygone years when the city was a thriving cosmopolitan hub of the east. Along wide and narrow streets and on prominent corners, extravagant homes, banks and private companies were built in styles of architecture from across the globe. After the nationalization of the economy in 1947, many of the buildings became property of the then-socialist government and were used mostly as government offices and courts until the new capital of Naypyitaw was established in 2006.

Sofaer & Co’s facade on Pansodan Street with original 1906 doors and windows. / Htet Wai

Today many of these heritage buildings remain unused or underused government buildings or private homes which can only be observed from the street, often in a state of dilapidation. Some, like Yangon Excelsior located in the former Steel Bros headquarters, have been converted into luxury hotels that cost hundreds of dollars for a night. Gladly, a select few heritage buildings have been woken from a slumber of disuse to be revived as restaurants accessible to all. The Irrawaddy has chosen three restaurants in Yangon's top heritage restorations where you can go to experience the historical value and a handsome aesthetics of these century-old treasures while filling up on delectable Asian cuisine.

Burma Bistro on Merchant Road makes the most of the building’s historical features. / Aung Kyaw Htet

Burma Bistro, a contemporary Burmese restaurant and bar used to be an inn. Located on the second and third floor of a handsome, faded-yellow building on Merchant Road with a grand veranda edged by stately columns, the exact year of construction is not known but guessed to be at least one hundred years ago. When developers approached the owners with a plan to buy the building, demolish and replace it with a high-rise office block, one of the tenants stepped in and opposed the sale, vowing to renovate and relaunch their section of it as a restaurant in order save the building and share the piece of heritage with the public. Today, mighty high ceilings and exposed brick walls house custom-made wooden and rattan furniture, local handmade textiles and an atmosphere of a Burma of the past.

"We picked the name of the restaurant and had to register for a restaurant license and YCDC made noise about the name itself because of 'Burma'. They didn't accept it because they considered it a colonial name," said co-owner Aye Thuzar Thant in describing the restoration process.

Authentic mohinga served delta style with boiled peas at Burma Bistro. / Aung Kyaw Htet

From outside, the restaurant façade is inconspicuous among the other heritage buildings so some searching may be required, but the hustle and bustle of the street and approaching staircase are left behind once inside. Burma Bistro's menu is a carefully thought out and offers quality, genuine regional Burmese food with "healthy tweaks." Though higher than prices in teashops, the food is still good value and the flavors incomparable.

Gekko is a Japanese cocktail bar and restaurant on Merchant Road. / Htet Wai

Gekko is the best option for those looking for Asian sophistication in a heritage setting. After a few months of restoration, the doors were opened in 2014 with Gekko being awarded Best Adaptive Reuse by Yangon Heritage Trust (YHT) earlier this year. This Japanese cocktail bar and restaurant is located in the 1906 Sofaer Building on the corner of Pansodan and Merchant roads which was originally a classy department store selling imported luxury goods like cigars and Scottish whiskey.

"The floor tiles were covered in a thick layer of black and the walls were fitted with layers of fake walls. All the beautiful beams were covered in plaster, so basically we didn't really know what we had until the cleaning process started," said Nikki Barltrop, Gekko's food and beverage manager who was on board since the restorations began.

Gekko occupies a space that was once a luxury department store and later a stationery shop. / Htet Wai

Today, diners can still see the elaborate floor tiles imported from England and steel beams shipped over from Scotland in the late 1800s and early 1900s which brought a slice of European style to Rangoon. Gekko serves some of the best yakitori, sushi and sashimi in Yangon and an exciting drinks menu including classic Japanese cocktails alongside exciting locally-influenced creations like the 'smoked thanaka old fashioned.'

Sofaer & Co is a bistro-style restaurant furnished in the mode of the early 1900s when the building was constructed. / Htet Wai

Sofaer & Co is located in the same building as Gekko but around the corner and proffers a totally different ambiance. For some years, this unit in the larger building was a general store selling dry goods but when the restauranteurs found it, it had become a neglected storage unit, hiding its historic charm from the public.

Now a bright bistro-style restaurant, it was renovated in 2016 and opened last year retaining its century-old window and door frames, wooden wall paneling and bar. Today, at a round marble-top table, in wicker-backed chairs, you can sip a coffee with friends and feel just like the Yangonites of one hundred years ago.

"A restoration project is more difficult than building everything from scratch. YHT supported us with the historical data for this place but we had to be careful not to [alter] the floors or drill into the wall. We had to add a modern kitchen and washroom without touching the structure," said Ingyin Zaw, operating partner of Sofaer & Co.

The menu here offers Asian-fusion food and comforting favorites like bún cha alongside fun twists on classics like the 'grilled tealeaf smoked pork neck' and a Western-style brunch menu was recently introduced.

Rangoon Teahouse emphasizes the building’s original art deco features on the facade. / Htet Wai

As conservation of heritage buildings can take many forms— from rehabilitation to preservation to reconstruction—there are a number of other quality restaurants in beautiful old structures around Yangon that have adopted a more modernizing approach to the restoration process. Rangoon Teahouse on Pansodan Street, widely regarded as one of the best Burmese restaurants in town, sports a fantastic art deco façade while the interiors are modern and chic. Next door, Sharky's—one of the earliest artisan delicatessen and restaurants to open in Yangon—serves international fare in a modern restaurant set in an well-preserved heritage shell of exposed red brick walls, recessed arches and exposed beams.

The post A Slice of Heritage: Dining in Yangon's Top Heritage Restorations appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

In World of Sports, Myanmar Left Holding the Wooden Spoon

Posted: 14 Sep 2018 08:52 PM PDT

Welcome to Dateline Irrawaddy! This week, we'll discuss Myanmar's decline in the world of sports. I’m Kyaw Kha, the chief reporter of The Irrawaddy Burmese edition. I'm joined by veteran journalist Ko Chit Win Maung and Myanmar national sepak takraw gold medalist Ko Zaw Latt.

Myanmar only managed to win two bronze medals at the 2018 Asian Games held recently in Indonesia. This indicates how bad the state of Myanmar sports has become. Myanmar tied for 35th with Afghanistan out of 37 countries on the medal table. U Chit Win Maung, what caused this dramatic decline in Myanmar's sporting achievement?

Chit Win Maung: We only won two bronzes at the Asian Games in Indonesia—the least we've won since the Asian Games in 1994. A total of 45 countries took part in the games, and 37 countries won medals. Myanmar tied with Afghanistan for 35th place in the medal table, followed by Syria. So, it was the worst medal tally ever for Myanmar. Above us in the medal table was Laos, which clinched two silvers, and Cambodia, which took home two golds. They were higher in the ranking than us. Myanmar ranked lowest in the medal tally among ASEAN countries. As Ko Zaw Latt [who won a gold medal at the 2014 Asian Games] knows, the previous Asian Games was held in Incheon, Korea. That time, we won two golds. So, the number has declined. We have won gold medals in the past, but not now. It is a long story to explain the causes of this decline. I don't want to discuss it. For the time being, it would be better for Ko Zaw Latt to discuss the situation.

KK: There is a slogan in our country: "Myanmar Sports—the World to Conquer." But even at the Asian Games, Myanmar only won two bronzes. So, it is quite unrealistic to hope that Myanmar sports will conquer the world. We should first improve our ranking among the regional countries in Southeast Asia. What changes do you think are needed to accomplish this?

Zaw Latt: Usually, a ceremony to hand the victory banner [national flag] to members of the sporting delegation is held before they leave for a sporting event. Every country does it. But this year, the ceremony was not held. At such ceremonies in the past, most of the concerned [government] officials—many of them may still hold their positions today—would say that Asian Games are like "friendlies" and are only meant for us to gain experience. It seems that most of them only want us to achieve a good ranking in ASEAN, and that is enough. They would say this at three out of every five flag handover ceremonies. This is the wrong attitude. If that is true, why do we need the slogan "Myanmar Sports—the World to Conquer"? If we are to conquer, we have to first succeed at the Asian Games and the Olympics. If they think the Asian Games are only meant for us to gain experience, they have the wrong attitude from the very beginning. There is a lot to be done. Athletes for their part have to work harder. And concerned sports federations and the government also have a part to play. I've always pointed out this lack of government support, so the government is angry at me. Speaking of financial support [from the government], things are different now than in the past in our country [regarding consumer prices]. Today, if there are five members in a family, four have to work to be able to live a decent life. In the past, one breadwinner was enough to support the whole family. You could devote yourself to sports. But the situation is different now. I had to support my family even while I was still struggling as a player. In our country, there are few athletes who can dedicate themselves to sports without worrying about money. Even if athletes have a certain level of skill, without proper support it is difficult to turn out a younger generation of athletes. Again, we were told before leaving for sporting events—the SEA Games, for example—that we would get this or that amount as a financial reward if we won gold, but I don't know where those words went after we won the medals. The Asian Games is a high-level sporting event for this country. We won medals at the Asian Games. I personally won medals in 2010 and 2014. And the award I got was less than US$500. I heard the Indonesian President said that he would award a minimum of US$100,000 to every gold medalist in his country at the 2018 Asian Games. So, you can imagine the difference. You might think I only talk about money. I have to— not for myself, but for the younger generation. If we are honored, this will encourage the younger generation. I say this not because I didn't get any financial reward. I say this because it is necessary. Our sports federation did present us with financial rewards. But the government should also honor the medalists. It seems to me that the government doesn't care about the Asian Games.

KK: It is quite dispiriting. What can we do to correct this?

CWM: Before talking about what can be done, I'd like to add to what Ko Zaw Latt has said. We have continuously covered Myanmar sports and we therefore understand the difficulties facing sports federations. Gold medals are a source of pride for the country. Ko Zaw Latt said he won gold medals in the past but received little support from the government, and that gold medalists were awarded US$100,000 in Indonesia. There must be incentives for athletes. Only then will they try harder. Ko Zaw Latt won medals for Myanmar in sepak takraw. In fact, there is a shortage of younger athletes who can succeed their seniors. It has been ages since a Myanmar athlete won a gold medal in a track and field event. Besides that, Myanmar athletes used to win gold in swimming and other events. In those fields, younger athletes were not groomed to build on the achievements of their seniors. To draw a conclusion from this, the rewards are small because our country is poor and can't provide for its athletes like other countries do. Talking of government measures to promote Myanmar sports, the U Thein Sein government handed over the sports federations to businesspeople. It assigned leading businesspeople to lead each sport federation, like sepak takraw, rowing and so on, thinking that they could support the athletes. But today we are in a different era and their thinking is different. In the past, they were given business opportunities in exchange [for playing such roles]. Some have resigned from the chairmanship of the sport federations. So, there are negative consequences. And the Sports Ministry has become the Health and Sports Ministry [under the new government]. So, there might be some limitations on the minister's ability to handle both alone. And taking a look at the budget allocation, the combined total for the two ministries is small. I want the government to know that sports embody the dignity of a nation. So, in order to promote sports, I personally think the government should increase the sports budget, and form a separate sports ministry.

KK: Things are different now. Our athletes always used to win gold medals at the [now discontinued] Southeast Asian Peninsular Games and Asian Games. And we used to seem like giants to neighboring countries and Asian countries. But things have changed. They are showing disrespect to us now. It is quite upsetting. It seems to me, a player's life changes completely after he wins a gold medal in Thailand, our neighboring country. Ko Zaw Latt, as a selected national player and gold medalist, what are the differences you see between us and them?

ZL: We are behind them. I admit that they play better than we do. And we still can't catch up with them. And talking of [government] support, there is a huge gap. In Thailand, a selected national player earns a minimum monthly salary of 1 million kyats. This is just the salary. Speaking of rewards, I heard that the Thai government pays US$20,000 to each individual gold medalist at the SEA Games, and US$30,000 in the Asian Games. Sorry, I've only been talking about money. You know, [such huge differences] upset the players. People think gold medalists get 10 million kyats each. No, it is meant for the whole team. There are three members in my team. In that case, we receive 1.2 million kyats, which we share between three of us. If a nine-member team wins a gold medal, they have to share 1.5 million kyats. There is no clear principle [regarding awards]. I admit that the Thais play much better than us.

KK: You are going to retire from the national team. Will you receive any kind of gratuity or guarantee for your future, as a gold medalist?

ZL: I have to praise my wife here. I have won eight medals in different competitions, and received cash awards from the government and the concerned sports federation. My wife helped me save that money, so I have got a good sum.

KK: What are your concerns, Ko Chit Win Maung?

CWM: Ko Zaw Latt has talked about their entitlements. The main problem is [government] support. As the budget is small, the concerned ministry can't give them much support. And the concerned sports federations can't give them much, either. Thailand recently invited Myanmar to go and play sepak takraw there. The Sports Ministry said it has no budget to cover the cost. It said it can only pay half the cost. The cost is not that much—just around US$4,000.

ZL: Let me interrupt. I think there might be some misunderstanding between the Sepak Takraw Federation and the Sports ministry. Usually, the federation has to take responsibility for invitational matches, and sporting events other than [those in] ASEAN and the Asian Games.

CWM: As I've said, there is little support, and this has impacted the sports.

KK: So, it seems that players have to spend out of their own pockets to play matches. Thank you for your contributions!

The post In World of Sports, Myanmar Left Holding the Wooden Spoon appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

This Week in Parliament

Posted: 14 Sep 2018 08:48 PM PDT

Monday (Sept. 10)

In the Union Parliament, Union Education Minister Dr. Myo Thein Gyi said his ministry would build around 44,000 school buildings and appoint 84,000 teachers at basic education schools over the next five years.

In the Lower House, lawmaker Sai Thant Zin of Hsipaw Township called for the suspension of a 280-megawatt hydropower project on the Myitnge River some 20 miles to the south of Shan State's Kyaukme Township, citing public opposition.

Tuesday (Sept. 11)

The Union Parliament approved the national planning bill for fiscal 2018-19.

Parliament voted in favor of a proposal of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation to provide an additional 14 billion kyats for the implementation of the Myit Tha Reservoir project in Gangaw Township, Magwe Region, over the opposition of some lawmakers.

The cost of the project was estimated to be around 55 billion kyats when it was proposed in fiscal 2002-03. However, around 300 billion kyats have been spent on the project so far, which lawmakers pointed out is against financial rules and regulations.

Wednesday (Sept. 12)

While discussing the report of the Parliament Rights Committee in the Lower House, lawmaker U Pe Than of the Arakan National Party complained about the condition of the rooms provided for lawmakers at the municipal guesthouse in Naypyitaw. According to lawmakers, they have to pay 100,000 kyats a month to lodge there.

"Respected persons," said U Pe Than, referring to the legislators, "should not be accommodated at a municipal guesthouse for a long time as if they were orphans."

In the Upper House, Deputy Home Affairs Minister Major-General Aung Thu admitted that his ministry has not done enough to control smuggling of illicit drug precursors into the country.

Thursday (Sept. 13)

The Union Parliament approved the budget for fiscal 2018-19 starting Oct. 1 after slashing around 230 billion kyats from the initial 25-trillion-kyat proposal.

Lawmakers discussed the draft taxation law for 2018-19 fiscal year, calling on the government to reduce tariffs on vehicle imports and re-impose taxes on diamonds, emeralds and gold bars.

Friday (Sept. 14)

In the Union Parliament, lawmakers continued their debate on the president's proposal to obtain a $298.9-million loan from the Asian Development Bank to be used to improve the electricity network in seven of the country's states and regions.

The loan will be used to fund a six-year project (2019-2025) to be implemented in Yangon, Irrawaddy, Tanintharyi and Bago regions and Mon, Karen and Rakhine states.

The post This Week in Parliament appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
Posted by at No comments:

Friday, September 14, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Parliament Approves 2018-2019 Budget

Posted: 14 Sep 2018 07:33 AM PDT

CHIANG MAI, Thailand — Parliament approved the 2018-2019 fiscal year budget on Thursday totaling some 24.72 trillion kyats ($16.1 billion), more than 230 billion kyats less than requested.

The approved total for the coming fiscal year, however, which begins in October, is still significantly higher than the 20.59 trillion kyats approved for 2017-2018.

The cuts to expenses, foreign loans and international support were made judiciously by the Parliament’s assessment teams, said Lower House lawmaker U Pe Than, who sits on the legislature’s Farmers and Labor Affairs Committee.

The assessments were made after the proposed budget was submitted to Parliament on late July.

"The deductions were made mostly to unnecessary expenses in each ministry, but the joint parliamentarians assessment teams put priority on current needs," U Pe Than said.

The lawmaker said he believed the requests were made with care but added that pricing inconsistencies — discrepancies in the prices listed for similar or identical items by different ministries — were still found by the teams and fixed, accounting for some of the cuts.

The largest cuts, worth 56 billion kyats, were made to the Construction Ministry.

Another 1.7 billion kyats worth of cuts were made to requested defense spending, bringing its total down to 13 percent of the total budget, equal to what was approved for the previous full fiscal year.

Cuts to the budget requests from ministries totaled 122.56 billion kyats, including 18 billion kyats from Health and Sports; 10.7 billion kyats from Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation; 8.5 billion kyats from National Planning and Finance; 8.3 billion kyats from Foreign Affairs; 4.7 billion kyats from Border Affairs; 2.6 billion kyats from Home Affairs; and 1 billion kyats from Education.

More than 4.7 billion kyats were also cut from the requests from non-ministerial nation agencies, along with 11.84 billion kyats from the requests from the Central Bank of Myanmar, the Naypyitaw Union Territory Council and municipalities.

The post Parliament Approves 2018-2019 Budget appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Parliament Blocks Request for Review of 3,000 Kaman ID Cards

Posted: 14 Sep 2018 07:26 AM PDT

YANGON—An urgent proposal calling for the review of the issuing of more than 3,000 pink identification cards which state the holder is ethnic Kaman, which were recently issued by the immigration department to Rohingya in southern Rakhine’s Ramree Township, was blocked by upper house on Monday.

Arakanese upper house legislator Daw Htoot May submitted the motion on Monday this week but didn’t receive any response from parliament by Wednesday. The following day she approached the house speaker's office to inquire about the lack of response. She recounted the verbal explanation from upper house speaker U Mhan Win Khaing Than to The Irrawaddy by phone on Friday, saying that the speaker claimed her proposal doesn’t meet the Hluttaw Law’s Article (164).

The article stipulates that an issue related to public interest or an urgent matter shall receive a Hluttaw decision and parliament shall not accept the proposal to discuss the issue if the relevant ministry has already taken action. The Ministry of Labor, Immigration and Population previously told The Irrawaddy they had no plan to review the case.

“The Kaman party has filed a complaint with the government but there has been a lack of action from the relevant ministry. I have explained those points and urged for a parliament debate to be allowed. I have tried my best, but all my efforts were in vain,” said MP Daw Htoot May.

However, she claims that she will try to raise the issue by any means via a parliament channel. The MP had already inquired about the disputed Kaman ID cards with local authorities and reiterated that the IDs which had recommendations given by Ramree’s Kyauk Ni Maw Village trustees and Kaman community leaders. She criticized the unclear methods authorities used to label the recipients as genuine Kaman.

Daw Htoot May pointed out, for instance, that despite the fact that the names of recommenders in regular NRC application forms appear in Burmese or Arakanese, the applicants' names apparently had religious Islamic titles such as "Abdu". She elaborated saying that since late 1990, almost all Kaman people were officially granted pink cards with stating their regional code (11).

She said that during military administration, especially around 1990, the immigration department used to register the NRC applications with abbreviations for each town such as RRE for Ramree, KPU for Kyaukpyu and SDW for Thandwe townships respectively. It is also locally known as tri-fold card.

Surprisingly, MP Htoot May has learned that some of RRE-registered applicant names reappeared among the 3,306 recently issued IDs.

“As far as I know, no Kaman uses Islamic religious names nowadays in Ramree’s Kyauk Ni Maw. If Naypyitaw's immigration department truly believes that the applicants are genuine Kaman, then let me say that something is totally wrong here,” said Daw Htoot May.

During communal riots between Rakhine and Rohingya communities in 2012, some Kaman were subjected to violence and dozens of their houses were burned to the ground as members of the Rakhine community thought Kaman were assisting members of the Rohingya community in getting the pink identification cards. Hundreds of Kaman were also forcibly displaced and kept in camps for years with authorities citing the segregation was a precaution against further clashes.

As of today, none of those displaced have been allowed to return to their original homes and many Kaman from Ramree and Kyaukphyu townships have sought new lives in Myanmar’s commercial city Yangon and some in Mandalay. MP Htoot May corroborated Kaman social media and Kaman Party claims that by the end of 2017, there were less than one hundred Kaman in her constituency of Ramree.

“Over IDs 3,00o being issued for Ramree Kaman is unrealistic. If they, the Napyidaw officials, are strictly maintaining their stance, this issue will certainly affect the Union in a matter of time. They should review [this case] before it is too late,” said the MP.

She suggested that the government be transparent and collaborate with Kaman society groups and parties as well as Rakhine residents for a re-examination process on this issue.

Kaman Social Network's, U Tun Ngwe, explained that most Kyauk Ni Maw residents received tri-fold cards during the military regime which gave them full citizenship rights as Muslims. However, the immigration department used the term “Rakhine/Islam” in the application, with "Rakhine" referring to the place where the applicant lives in rather than their racial background. When the military government revoked the tri-fold cards in order to replace them with pink cards, Muslim residents from rural areas in Ramree were unable to return them.

U Tun Ngwe said the government should resolve the issue with transparency rather than hiding its wrongdoings. He said Kaman society and the Kaman National Progressive Party don't recognize the new ID recipients as Kaman. He recalled that in 2017, some Kyauk Ni Maw Muslims went to Naypyidaw to discuss citizenship rights and requested to be scrutinized in line with the 1982 citizenship law.

He suggested the possibility that the immigration officials might have avoided using the controversial term “Rakhine/ Muslim” in the ID card, replacing it with “Kaman” for new applicants.

“The government should announce this case to the public with transparency. We Kaman don’t want to see a black spot in our history. As you know we have previously been asserted by the Arakanese community who said that the Kaman represent a doorway for Bengalis. We don’t officially recognize the ethnic Kaman but they should be granted citizenship in my opinion,” said U Tun Ngwe.

He urged the government to seek a pragmatic, rigorous approach to create a win-win situation for every group.

The Kaman minority is one of the 135 officially recognized ethnic groups and one of the seven ethnic subgroups of Rakhine State. Unlike the Buddhist Arakanese, the Kaman are Muslim. They have been residing in Rakhine for centuries. During the Arakan Kingdom, the Kaman served as royal archers, but this profession vanished when the kingdom fell to the Burmese Konbaung Dynasty in 1784. Nowadays, there are about 45,000 ethnic Kaman Muslims across the country.

The post Parliament Blocks Request for Review of 3,000 Kaman ID Cards appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

The Importance of Reading Between the Lines

Posted: 14 Sep 2018 07:21 AM PDT

Without the ability to read between the lines of a country's political rhetoric, grasping the nuances of its politics is virtually impossible. Myanmar is in a very complex situation indeed, one that requires more "reading between the lines" than most.

Lacking this ability, many would-be analysts of Myanmar fall victim to a tendency to badly misread the situation here.

The most recent example can be found in the international reaction to a reply that Myanmar's de facto leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, gave when she was asked about the likelihood of another military coup in the country. Speaking after delivering a lecture in Singapore in late August, she said she wasn't worried about the matter, adding with a laugh that all three of the generals in her cabinet are "rather sweet". The audience, most of whom were Singaporeans or people from other Asian countries, reacted with laughter.

I think many people in the audience got it right, and that the many others in Myanmar who watched it online understood clearly what she meant. That is, they were well aware that in her description of the generals, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi didn't really mean that they were "sweet".

But many foreign observers, especially Westerners, didn't get it at all. They were provoked to outrage by her words. Some analysts for Western media, including those participating in a discussion on CNN, interpreted it that way; they believe she really likes the generals and enjoys having them as ministers in her cabinet. That's simply wrong. In fact, the State Counselor's comment was a humorous one, delivered with a laugh and a witty look—and her audience understood this. As she said it, the audience laughed along with her. And the moderator responded laughingly with a comment about her "very charming reply".

Similarly, I am sure many people in Myanmar watching online fully grasped that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi chose the words "rather sweet" because she is unable to offer an opinion such as "rather bad", given the country's hybrid political situation and the military's constitutionally privileged position of power. Another important fact is that she knows she cannot control the military.

Some viewers may also have misinterpreted a comment the State Counselor made while addressing the likelihood of another military coup, when she said, "Our relationship with the Army is not that bad, you know." Her tone was clearly ironic. Reading between the lines, one can see that she views the relationship between the military and her government as "not good"—or even that "it's terrible."

Such faulty interpretations are understandable. Myanmar's politics are more complicated than most. But without being able to read between the lines on some key issues, it becomes very difficult to make sense of the situation. If we can grasp such nuances, we can understand the reality.

The intelligence information we've gathered backs up the assessment of sour relations between the military and the National League for Democracy-led government.

Even those comments made by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in Singapore left the military unhappy, because the State Counselor said her government was trying to amend the undemocratic articles of the Constitution that guarantee the military's political power, such as the rules stating that 25 percent of seats in Parliament are occupied by unelected military appointees and that three key Cabinet positions are filled by military officers—the very same officers she described as "rather sweet."

One former high-ranking Army official who is close to the commander-in-chief confided that the top military leaders feel that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi chose the wrong time and place to talk about amending the Constitution, given the many problems the country faces.

In fact, when the NLD was in opposition in Parliament under the previous government from 2011 to 2016 and discussed amending the Constitution, the military never showed the slightest interest in the idea. It has always firmly taken the position that its job is to safeguard the Constitution. And in the absence of a political miracle in the country, this stand is highly unlikely to change in the foreseeable future.

On Aug. 27, when social media platform Facebook announced that it had removed the account of military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, along with 17 other military-related accounts and 52 Facebook pages associated with the military, the military leaders suspected the government of involvement in the closure. That might not be the case.

But such deep suspicion of the NLD-led government and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi by the military has created an atmosphere in which she must choose her words carefully, and comment indirectly, in order not to offend the military leadership.

So, to truly understand Myanmar's politics, please try to read between the lines.

The post The Importance of Reading Between the Lines appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Yangon Gov’t Loses $2.3m in Bus Services: Auditor General

Posted: 14 Sep 2018 05:54 AM PDT

YANGON—Yangon Auditor General Daw Khin Than Hla said the two public-private partnership bus companies — majority owned by the Yangon Region government—made 3.5 billion kyats ($2.3 million) in losses during the 2017-18 fiscal year.

In 2017, the regional government's 70-billion-kyat ($45 million) investment in the two companies Yangon Bus Public Co. Ltd. (YBPC) and Yangon Urban Public Transport Co. Ltd. (YUPT), was met with some skepticism among lawmakers. In May this year, MPs requested that the auditor general examine the government's spending.

The auditor general Daw Khin Than Hla said the companies haven't made any profit yet, using the report for the 2016-17 fiscal year to prove her point in parliament on Friday.

She said a total of 3.5 billion kyats was made in losses during the 2017-18 fiscal year. The YBPC made a loss of nearly 3 billion kyats ($1.9 million) while the YUPT made 603 million kyats ($390,000) in losses.

In the 2016-17 fiscal year, the YBPC made 1.1 billion kyats ($710,000) in losses, while YUPT gained 25.5 million kyats ($16,500) in profits.

Daw Khin Than Hla suggested that it is necessary to ask for more realistic bus fares based on the distance of a passenger's journey in order to earn a profit.

The regular maintenance of buses, enforcing rules and regulations along bus lines and expanding bus routes are also needed in order to make the service for more convenient for commuters, she added.

Yangon regional lawmaker U Kyaw Zay Ya said the MPs will ask for accountability and responsibility from the government for losing billions of public budget in the upcoming session.

"We can't just allow this loss of public budget. We need to find ways to reduce the losses," he said.

Currently, there are 25 bus companies including YBPC and YUPT operating 119 bus lines in Yangon with more than 6,000 buses.

The lawmakers are set to discuss the auditor general's report in an upcoming session of parliament.

The post Yangon Gov't Loses $2.3m in Bus Services: Auditor General appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

The Anti-Corruption Commission Lands Some Big Fish at Last

Posted: 14 Sep 2018 05:29 AM PDT

The decision by Myanmar's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to take action against the attorney general of Yangon Region and five other officials for taking bribes in exchange for withdrawing a murder case is a landmark move in a country plagued by rampant, chronic corruption in every sector of the government, including the judicial system.

The commission announced on Thursday that the attorney general, a judge, three law officers and a police officer have had cases filed against them under the Anti-Corruption Law that would, if the accused are found guilty, earn them maximum sentences of 10 to 15 years in prison. The senior positions of the officials involved make this the most high-profile case in which the anti-graft body, which was established two years ago, has been able to open cases.

In an indication of the public's disdain for corrupt officials and the practice of taking bribes—which has long been an open secret among Myanmar citizens—the commission's move has received strong public approval. Much to the people's elation, the graft body has been able to catch some "big fish" this time, ensnaring high-ranking officials occupying such senior positions as attorney general, deputy district judge and Yangon regional law officer. This is not simply the joy of watching high officials fall from grace—the people know that targeting senior officials is one of the best ways to stem the tide of corruption.

Moreover, by sending a signal that the administration takes seriously its pledge to implement the rule of law, the move goes some way toward assuaging the concerns of the Myanmar people, who are coping with the effects of economic mismanagement by the government they voted for. Let's not forget that the previous administration under former president U Thein Sein failed to tackle corruption despite enacting the Anti-Corruption Law in 2013.

The ACC must keep doing its job, as there are many, many more big fish out there and the law states that the fight against corruption is a national cause. At the same time, we must wait and see to what extent the commission takes action against the accused. In May, despite receiving complaints and conducting an investigation, it declined to take legal action against the country's former finance minister, saying there were insufficient grounds to bring charges under the Anti-Corruption Law. It should be remembered that the cases against the regional attorney general and others involved in the withdrawal of the murder case were only filed by the ACC after a public outcry prompted the president to intervene and call for a review of the case.

For now, however, kudos to the commission chairman and his team. The ACC has achieved a tangible outcome. It has a presidential mandate to take action against anyone, whoever they may be, and report back to him if it faces any intervention from "someone upstairs" during its investigations. Let's hope that in future it will be more pro-active, and independent, in excising the cancer of corruption from the body of the nation.

The post The Anti-Corruption Commission Lands Some Big Fish at Last appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Lawmaker Asks Govt to Let Minority Language Teachers Don Traditional Dress

Posted: 14 Sep 2018 03:58 AM PDT

Mon State — An ethnic Karen lawmaker is asking the Education Ministry to let ethnic language teachers in government schools wear their traditional dress.

Nang Moe Moe Htwe, who represents Karen State’s Hlaingbwe Township in the Upper House of the national Parliament, sent a letter to Education Minister U Myo Thein Gyi on Thursday on behalf of some of the ethnic Karen teachers in her constituency.

She said the intent was to encourage Karen youth to appreciate and know how to wear their traditional garb.

"Some people do not wear their traditional dress at our traditional festivals. But it is a problem not only among the Karen community. Many of our ethnic people have the same problem,” she told The Irrawaddy.

In her letter, she asks the Education Ministry to let all ethnic Karen teachers in Karen State wear traditional dress.

"It was not only ethnic Karen teachers from my township who wanted to wear their traditional dress. Other ethnic Karen teachers in Karen State also wanted to wear their traditional dress for sure," the letter says.

During the previous military regime, Myanmar’s many ethnic minorities were not allowed to study their own languages. With the start of democratic reforms earlier this decade, however, the government began hiring ethnic minority teachers to teach their native tongue in government schools but requires them to wear the standard white and green uniform.

Nang Moe Moe Htwe’s letter is the first time the union government has been asked to let teachers wear their traditional dress.

Since she posted the request on Facebook, other ethnic minorities have expressed support and suggested that other minority language teachers be allowed to wear their traditional dress as well.

Nai Rot Ga Kao, program coordinator for research and advocacy from the Mon National Education Department, said it was important for the government to recognize ethnic minority teachers. He suggested the government let them wear their traditional dress at least once a week if not every day.

Nai Rot Ga Kao said Mon language teachers in Mon State started wearing traditional dress when the democratic reforms began but had to stop last year, when the government introduced a minority language teaching curriculum, made the teachers civil servants and required them to adhere to the standard uniform.

"The government should even allow ethnic [minority] students to wear their traditional dress as in Thailand, where students are allowed to wear their own traditional ethnic dress one day a week,” he said.

The post Lawmaker Asks Govt to Let Minority Language Teachers Don Traditional Dress appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Rani Cuisine Offers a Taste of Northern India

Posted: 14 Sep 2018 02:33 AM PDT

YANGON — When an Indian friend recommended an Indian restaurant in town, it didn't take me long to make a plan to go to the restaurant and try the foods. Going there, I had a lot of expectations but when I arrived in front of the shop all I saw was a small restaurant empty of customers and I started having major doubts about my friend's advice.

The restaurant, called 'Rani Indian Cuisine', is located on the ground floor of the new Golden View Tower, near Kandawgyi Park's Karaweik entrance.

The staff warmly welcomed my friend and I into the shop where we were also greeted by the owner. The restaurant is small and clean with just a few tables. Some framed photos decorating the walls seemed a bit out of context for the style of this restaurant.

Honestly, I don't know much about Indian cuisine as this city doesn't have a lot of upscale Indian restaurants compared to others like European, Italian, Chinese and Thai restaurants.

Jeera Rice and curries at Rani Cuisine. (Photo: Htet Wai/ The Irrawaddy)

My friend and I decided to choose a variety of dishes and also asked for recommendations from the staff. The owner, a friendly young lady, recommended the plain roti (1,000 kyats), jeera rice (2,500 kyats), chicken masala (5,000 kyats), dal tadka (3,500 kyats) and mutton rogan josh (6,000 kyats) after discussing our preferences with us.

While waiting for the food, we had a short conversation with the owner who explained that Rani Cuisine focuses on north Indian cuisine. She emphasized that they use traditional north Indian cooking methods, introducing dishes such as tandoori chicken and palak paneer to Yangon's foodies.

"The food styles of northern and southern India are different. Most of the people from northern India eat a lot of bread like naan and roti with their curries. Only a few people eat rice with curry and our shop is focusing more on a northern Indian style of cuisine," said Ma Zarchi Mon, the owner of Rani Cuisine who has a mix of Myanmar and Nepali heritage.

She added, "Customers can get a real experience of northern-style Indian food at our shop, but we do serve rice for some general curries."

Most of their customers are expats from India who live in Myanmar for business matters. Hotel guests from nearby areas also come to the restaurant a lot.

"We don't use a lot of masala, dried herbs or color powder. We prepare the food like it's homemade because our foreign customers also miss their home and homemade curries," she said.

After 20 minutes, the dishes were served one by one. The strong smell of Indian cooking came to my nose.

Dal tadka, a northern Indian version served at Rani Cuisine.(Photo: Htet Wai/ The Irrawaddy

The plain baked roti includes three rolls and is made with wholegrain, the chicken masala and mutton rogan josh dishes are a red color, and the dal tadka is yellowish. The dishes are served in small portions and come with mint chutney.

It was a kind of Indian food tour starting with roti eaten with dal tadka and rogan josh. Spoons and forks were provided but the roti is supposed to scoop up the curry and be eaten with your fingers.

The rogan josh was thick, a little salty and sour with a tomato flavor. It was an aromatic dish and the mutton meat was really tender.

The chicken masala is a common curry for Indian people and the meat was soft while the taste was a bit sour and spicy. If you don't like masala flavors, it is recommended not to try this one because the smell is strong and my friend couldn't eat it.

The dal tadka was my favorite dish at the restaurant. It is effectively a bean soup cooked with Indian flare. Pigeon beans are used in this dish and it is thick with a good smell. It tastes perfect with roti as well as rice.

After having the meals, I regretted my negative first impression. Though the restaurant is not huge, nor very pretty and was rather empty when we visited, the taste of the food was really good and reasonably priced.

The post Rani Cuisine Offers a Taste of Northern India appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Human Traffickers Finding New Ways to Avoid Arrest

Posted: 14 Sep 2018 02:21 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW — New challenges face the human trafficking squad of Myanmar's police force in the fight against cross-border trafficking of Myanmar women into China, said the police.

"The number of human trafficking cases has not declined over the past years," said, Police Colonel Thet Naung, "and a new form of trafficking has emerged."

Chinese men now legally marry Myanmar women before selling them back in China and in some cases even force them to be surrogate mothers, said the police colonel during the event held to mark Anti-Human Trafficking Day in Naypyitaw on Thursday.

According to existing laws in Myanmar, Buddhist women are allowed to tie the knot with foreigners who are also Buddhists.

In most of the trafficking cases they have investigated, said the police, Myanmar women married not because they fell in love with Chinese men, but because the Chinese men gave a large dowry to their parents.

Though the nuptial laws in China prohibit arranged marriage and marriage for dowry, those laws do not prescribe penalties for violation, said the police colonel.

"Chinese men marry them officially and take them [to China] with official passports. As it is legal, it is difficult for us to control," he said.

"There are other situations." For example, Myanmar women who are convinced by middlemen that they will get jobs in China cannot bring about arrest the arrest of traffickers by the squad.

"Victims are brought through the border into China. We stop them on the way, but then they say we can't prohibit a Myanmar citizen holding a citizenship identity card from going freely inside the country," said the police colonel.

There were 1,609 cases of human trafficking involving 3,850 victims from 2006 through 2017, and 4,556 perpetrators were arrested. Most of the cases involved China.

The number of cases that went unreported is likely to be more than that of reported cases in Myanmar, as is the case with human trafficking across the world.

According to the police, some victims have reported that they have been forced to live with as many as five Chinese men and have given birth at least three times. They also reported being forced to marry men with mental and physical disabilities.

"There are many of such cases," said police colonel Thet Naung.

Last year, around 74 percent of victims were trafficked to China, four percent to Thailand, 0.29 percent to Malaysia, and 21.28 percent within the country itself, said Vice-President Henry Van Thio at the event on Thursday.

Most of the cases involved forced labor, forced marriage, the sex trade and forced adoption, said the police.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Human Traffickers Finding New Ways to Avoid Arrest appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Bangladesh Police Say NGOs Discourage Rohingya Repatriation

Posted: 14 Sep 2018 12:16 AM PDT

DHAKA — Bangladeshi police in Cox's Bazar district stated in an internal report that local and international non-governmental organizations and UN agencies were discouraging Rohingya Muslim refugees from being repatriated to Myanmar.

The internal report, prepared at the end of June by district special branch officials, stated that there was no concrete evidence of this allegation.

It also mentioned that few NGOs were willing to share information regarding funding and suggested that the Bangladesh government confer with the district special branch before allowing foreign funding to be given to NGOs operating in the area.

The report was prepared under former Cox's Bazar police superintendent AKM Iqbal Hossain, who was transferred on Sept. 9 and was unable to be reached for comment. The newly appointed ABM Masud Hossain will soon assume the post.

Cox's Bazar deputy commissioner Kamal Hossain, however, contradicted the report and said on Sept. 10 that development partners were being monitored but that no specific allegations had been made in regards to the repatriation of the Rohingya. Some 700,000 Rohingya fled northern Rakhine State in Myanmar beginning in August 2016 after attacks on security posts prompted Myanmar Army “security clearance operations.”

An official at the Inter-Sector Coordination Group, which is coordinating the humanitarian response to the Rohingya refugee crisis, in Cox's Bazar seeking anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue told The Irrawaddy the group had heard about the allegations in the police report.

"The police officials who prepared the report were already transferred. We explained the matter to the concerned authorities. The RRRC [refugee relief and repatriation commission] office is inquiring about the issue," said the official.

"We are working closely with our partners," said refugee relief and repatriation commissioner Mohammad Abul Kalam, the lead officer coordinating refugee and Rohingya issues in Cox's Bazar, when asked about the allegation that Rohingya are being discouraged from repatriation.

Help Cox's Bazar executive director Abul Kashem explained why he thought the police would have made such an allegation.

"Basically, most of us are talking about the dignified and protected repatriation of the Rohingya to their homeland. People could misinterpret this as discouragement," said Kashem.

Rohingya Repatriation Movement convener Hamidul Hoque Chowdhury, in Cox's Bazar, defended the police report.

"Although we do not have specific evidence, the nature of the development activity and the delay in repatriation give us the sense that these groups are interested in extending the crisis," he said.

"NGOs and even UN agencies want them [the Rohingya] here. It creates jobs with handsome salaries. And this has happened year after year. They don't want the Rohginya to be repatriated," he said.

"Not a single Rohingya was repatriated in the last year," he added.

Mia Seppo, the United Nations Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Bangladesh, told The Irrawaddy: "The UN does not consider the conditions in NRS [Northern Rakhine State in Myanmar] conducive for return. That said, the UN will not stand in the way of anyone who wants to return voluntarily."

Currently, 86 local and 36 international NGOs are implementing various projects along with 11 UN agencies at various Rohingya camps in Bangladesh.

Over 50 non-governmental organizations working in Rohingya camps were named recently in various dailies since Aug. 17, stating that their operations in Ukhiya and Teknaf were "banned."

On March 6, the NGO Affairs Bureau set a framework for the local and international aid organizations to bring "transparency and accountabilities" to their activities.

In the framework, the NGOs were asked to provide all information to the Cox's Bazar district administration and the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commission regarding development activities, project implementation, funding, and employees.

The post Bangladesh Police Say NGOs Discourage Rohingya Repatriation appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

US Sanctions Russian, Chinese Tech Firms over Funds for N. Korea

Posted: 13 Sep 2018 10:39 PM PDT

WASHINGTON/SEOUL — The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on a China-based tech firm, its North Korean CEO and a Russian subsidiary, accusing them of moving illicit funding to North Korea in violation of US sanctions.

The new sanctions target China-based Yanbian Silverstar Network Technology Co, its North Korean chief executive Jong Song Hwa, and a Russian-based sister company, Volasys Silver Star, the US Treasury Department said in a statement.

“These actions are intended to stop the flow of illicit revenue to North Korea from overseas information technology workers disguising their true identities and hiding behind front companies, aliases, and third-party nationals,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.

Mnuchin warned companies across the globe “to take precautions to ensure that they are not unwittingly employing North Korean workers for technology projects.”

South Korea’s foreign ministry said the move was in line with the United States’ resolve to keep up sanctions to achieve complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula while carrying out dialogue.

A manager at Yanbian Silverstar, who would only give his family name Jin, said the allegations were “impossible”.

“I’ve never heard of Jong Song Hwa,” he told Reuters.

The administration of US President Donald Trump has maintained sanctions pressure on Pyongyang in an effort to convince North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons, which are a threat to the United States.

Trump met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June at a summit in Singapore where Kim agreed in broad terms to work toward denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. North Korea has however given no indication it is willing to give up its weapons unilaterally, as the Trump administration has demanded.

Washington has also accused Russia of violating UN sanctions on North Korea by granting work permits to North Korean laborers despite Russia’s denial of any such actions.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley accused Moscow on Thursday of seeking to cover up breaches of UN sanctions on North Korea by Russians.

“Vicious Slander"

North Korea’s official KCNA news agency said US accusations that it was responsible for cyber attacks in 2014 and 2017 were a “smear campaign” and a man sanctioned by Washington earlier this month did not exist.

Washington charged and sanctioned Pak Jin Hyok and a Chinese-based front company he worked for, Chosun Expo, over the 2017 global WannaCry ransomware cyberattack and the 2014 cyberassault on Sony Corp.

Park worked as part of a team of hackers, known as the Lazarus Group, to try to breach multiple US businesses, including defense contractor Lockheed Martin Corp, US officials said, though there was no evidence the company was breached.

KCNA said Pak was “non-existent” and the act of cyber crimes mentioned by Washington “has nothing to do with us.”

“The US farce of prosecution is none other than a vicious slander and another smear campaign full of falsehood and fabrication designed to undermine the DPRK,” KCNA said, referring to the country’s official name, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

“In reality, the US is the chief culprit responsible for posing security threats in cyberspace.”

The post US Sanctions Russian, Chinese Tech Firms over Funds for N. Korea appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Indian Nuns Demand Justice for Sister Allegedly Assaulted by Bishop

Posted: 13 Sep 2018 09:58 PM PDT

NEW DELHI — A group of Indian Catholic nuns are staging a rare street protest in the southern state of Kerala demanding justice after an alleged sexual assault of a nun by a bishop.

Police have called the bishop named in the complaint for a second round of questioning next week. The bishop has denied wrongdoing.

The case comes at a time when the Christian community, which accounts for 19 percent of the state’s population, is reeling under an erosion of trust as sexual abuse cases involving the clergy pile up.

Five priests were arrested last month in two different sexual assault cases, while last year, a Catholic priest who was trying to flee the country was arrested after a minor he is accused of having sex with gave birth.

The nun in a letter said she wanted the Vatican to intervene. She said she was forced to make matters public after several attempts to seek justice from within the church failed.

The protest, now in its sixth day in Kochi, Kerala’s financial hub, is gathering momentum as the locals, activists, writers and politicians come out in support.

A man, who is on an indefinite hunger strike, lay in front of the stage where the protesting nuns sat. A nun coordinating the protest dismissed allegations that they were trying to disgrace the church.

“Our fight is for the truth. We will not back out unless the truth is established and the nun is given justice,” she told Reuters.

The Catholic Church in Germany acknowledged a “depressing and shameful” legacy of sexual abuse on Wednesday after a leaked study said clerics had abused thousands of children over 70 years.

The leaked study was published on the day that Pope Francis, who has made several attempts to tackle a spreading sexual abuse crisis that has badly tarnished the Church’s image worldwide, summoned senior bishops from around the world to the Vatican to discuss the protection of minors.

The post Indian Nuns Demand Justice for Sister Allegedly Assaulted by Bishop appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Malaysian Police Question Those Paid Out of $972M in Najib’s Account

Posted: 13 Sep 2018 09:52 PM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysian police investigating a scandal at state fund 1MDB are questioning more than 50 individuals who received payments from a sum of $972 million that entered the personal bank account of former Prime Minister Najib Razak, an official said on Thursday.

A total of $4.5 billion was misappropriated by high-level officials of the fund, 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), and their associates, the US Justice department has said.

The fund, founded by Najib, is at the center of money-laundering probes in at least six countries, including Singapore Switzerland and the United States.

Police are recording statements of those who received funds from Najib’s personal account, among them some with political affiliations and foreigners, said deputy police chief Noor Rashid Ibrahim.

“We are in the process of taking their statements,” Noor Rashid told a news conference. Asked if any of the 50 would be charged in the investigation, he replied, “There is a possibility.”

Reuters could not immediately reach a spokesman for Najib to seek comment.

A total of 132 money laundering transactions have been identified and further investigations are being pursued, the police said in a statement later.

Police added that statements have been taken from 64 people, including Najib and his daughter Nooryana Najwa Najib, with more to come, as they track down those involved, or persons of interest, in the scandal.

Najib and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, have been barred from leaving Malaysia after his decade in power ended in a shock election defeat in May, and the new prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, relaunched an investigation into the troubled fund.

The scandal erupted in 2015 after media reports that about $681 million was deposited into Najib’s bank account.

Najib has consistently denied any wrongdoing, maintaining the funds were donations from a Saudi royal and the bulk handed back.

Noor Rashid said a total of $972 million went into Najib’s account, however, after moving through accounts linked to several companies, some of which he named as Good Star Limited, Aabar and Tanore.

Malaysian and global investigations, including chargesheets filed by the US DoJ, have identified these firms as among those used to allegedly siphon off billions of dollars from 1MDB.

Many of the transactions happened overseas and the police have sought the help of foreign agencies, Noor Rashid added.

Najib has pleaded not guilty to money laundering charges against him this year in connection with a former 1MDB unit.

His lawyer was also charged with money laundering on Thursday.

The post Malaysian Police Question Those Paid Out of $972M in Najib’s Account appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)