Thursday, November 29, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Villagers Support Dawei SEZ Resumption but Demand Fairness

Posted: 29 Nov 2018 07:20 AM PST

YANGON—Villagers residing on the site of the initial phase of the Dawei Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Tanintharyi Division cautiously welcomed a recent agreement by Thailand and Myanmar to resume the project's initial phase and upgrade a highway leading to the location, saying their homes are almost entirely lacking in basic services.

Early this month, the National League for Democracy (NLD)-led government signed off on an US$8-million agreement to jointly upgrade a highway linking the Thai-Myanmar border with the SEZ and a deep seaport.

To gauge villagers' views on the project, local non-profit organizations EarthRights International (ERI) and the Dawei Development Association (DDA) conducted a joint six-month study entitled "The Local Voices and Prospects for the Dawei Special Economic Zone."

The report was officially launched in Yangon on Thursday afternoon at a press event attended by four residents of villages in the affected area. The report focuses on the following six villages in  Nabule region (which is in the heart of the SEZ project): Paradut, Hteingyi, Mudu, Wetchaung, Kamaungchaung and Ngapidat.

The Irrawaddy asked the four villagers what they thought when they heard that the SEZ project would be restarted. They said they supported the plan but demanded that the government ensure equal access to information, a proper land-compensation scheme, transparency over the locations to be developed, job opportunities and a chance to improve their livelihoods.   

Daw Po Win from Nabule said villages situated inside the SEZ are still without access to the national power grid or government-operated gas turbines. Road conditions remain extremely undeveloped, while four townships in Dawei district have a 24-hour supply of electricity. Most of the villagers rely on electricity from private generators at a per-unit cost of about 900 kyats.

"We are very glad about the SEZ resumption, but we hope things will be better than last time," Daw Po Win said.

A tractor passes by the Italian-Thai Development construction site in the Dawei Special Economic Zone. / EarthRights International / Supplied

The initial phase, an industrial estate, is expected to cost US$1.8 billion and cover 27 sq. km. That is a fraction of the cost and far smaller than the initial proposal. Based on a recent suggestion by the Dawei SEZ Management Committee, ERI believes all the phases of project could be constructed simultaneously.

The government has consistently touted the potential benefits of the SEZ, but ERI says only vague information about the project has been released. Moreover, locals have not received a single kyat in compensation for land damaged earlier by Italian-Thai Development Company (ITD).

ERI adviser Ko Bo Bo Aung said ITD had discriminated in favor of powerful people when paying compensation, with ordinary farmers receiving very little. It's unclear whether the company paid the full purchase price for locals' land or just offered the usual rate of compensation.

Ko Bo Bo Aung said, "Some villagers are still hoping to get some money if the project resumes, because they believe compensation is the only way to improve their lives."

Government resettlement plans almost always divide the affected communities.

The SEZ project was the brainchild of the administration of former President U Thein Sein. The master plan includes a deep seaport, a vast petrochemical estate, a smaller industrial zone for lighter and more labor–intensive industry, a coal–fired power plant, a reservoir, a new town to house workers, dual oil and gas pipelines, and road and rail links to Thailand.

When local opposition to the coal–fired power plant erupted in 2012, the government decided to shelve the project for several years. It remains unclear whether the current government plans to proceed with the coal-fired project.

The Union Parliament gave the Ministry of Construction a green light to take out a low-interest loan from Thailand's Neighboring Countries Economic Development Cooperation Agency (NEDA) worth 4.5 billion Thai baht (approximately US$137 million, or 220.5 billion kyats). The ministry has been working with Thailand's Department of Highways since 2015 on conducting measurements for the highway.

The post Villagers Support Dawei SEZ Resumption but Demand Fairness appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Analysis : National Leaders Send a Chilling Message over Media’s Role

Posted: 29 Nov 2018 05:06 AM PST

YANGON—Myanmar's senior leaders offered a revealing glimpse of their perceptions of the media last week—and their view of the country's Fourth Estate appears to be one of deep skepticism that some media professionals fear could have a chilling effect.

Last Friday, newly elected members of the Myanmar Press Council gathered at the Presidential Residence in Naypyitaw to take their oath in front of President U Win Myint, who delivered a speech.

Following the ceremony, at a dinner in honor of the council, State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi chatted briefly with several MPC members on the topics of social media, mainstream media and access to information.

Council member U Zayar Hlaing recalled Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's response when he raised the issue of the differences between social and mainstream media.

"She asked whether the mainstream media ever makes errors," the MPC member said, adding that the State Counselor raised a British newspaper's mistaken identification of a picture of a Cambodian boy as a Rohingya child. (She said the mistake occurred in The Guardian; in fact it was in the Daily Mail.)

When the conversation turned to fake news, U Zayar Hlaing—who is also editor of Mawkun Magazine—suggested promoting public media literacy and access to information as possible ways to counter the problem. The State Counselor was skeptical that increased access to information would deter journalists from covering stories in a biased way, though she did not specify whether she was referring to local or international media.

"I didn't know how to keep the conversation going. It made me wonder if she has any trust in the media," U Zayar Hlaing told The Irrawaddy.

The Press Council's Joint Secretary-1, U Myint Kyaw, was also present at the meeting. He, too, got the impression that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi sounded skeptical about the media.

Press Council members take their oaths in front of President U Win Myint in Naypyitaw on Nov. 23. / President's Office

"The way we see it, access to information is a means to get rid of misinformation. But she was doubtful that it would work," the journalism teacher said.

Both council members believed the State Counselor's suspicions might stem from the international media's coverage of the Rohingya issue in Rakhine State.

Since the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army launched a series of attacks on security outposts in northern Rakhine in 2017, the international media have published a flood of stories, mainly focusing on the Rohingya's plight, particularly the mass exodus to Bangladesh and accusations against security forces of rape, arbitrary killings and the torching of Rohingya property.

On the other hand, much of the coverage—sometimes accompanied by fabricated or misleading pictures or information, or presented in a misleading manner—has been perceived by Myanmar people of different walks of life as not being balanced and fair, with accusations that the coverage has failed to give the views of both sides and has neglected the experiences of ethnic Rakhine and others in favor of Rohingya accounts. The government, led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, believes the coverage has tarnished the country's international image and has issued official warnings in the Daily Mail case. She herself has been misquoted by The Associated Press.

The two Press Council members expressed concern that her perceptions of the media could have serious repercussions in Myanmar, given Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's stature and popularity. They worried her views would have a further negative impact on public opinion of the media.

"So I wonder if she was delivering a message that she no longer trusts the media. If that was her intent, I have to say it's a chilling message," U Zayar Hlaing said.

The impact of these views is already palpable. News about the meeting and her comments on the media went viral online, and prompted some explosive comments. For those predisposed to be unkind to the media, it presented a golden opportunity. Comments like "Why should we believe in [the media] when our leader doesn't have any trust in them?" were quite common. Others wrote: "You journalists only criticize the government but daren't do it to the military." (Actually, we do. Here is just one example.)

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi wasn't the only one whose remarks left journalists feeling uneasy on the day; President U Win Myint's speech to Press Council members contrasted with comments he made during his inauguration ceremony eight months ago, when he urged his government to treat the media as "the eyes and ears of the people".

Last month, Yangon Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein filed a lawsuit against three journalists from Eleven Media and had them arrested for incitement for allegedly publishing false information relating to the use of public funds. President U Win Myint took the right approach by ordering the chief minister to first attempt to settle the case with the help of the MPC, as required under the country's Media Law. His intervention saw the journalists released and paved the way for the Press Council's mediation.

At the swearing-in ceremony on Friday, however, rather than encouraging the media to be ethically vigilant in its coverage of the executive, legislative and judicial sectors, promoting an independent media and vowing to ensure access to information, the president exhorted media professionals to provide "criticism in a positive way" while taking care not to affect the country's peace, stability and security.

Given that journalism's first obligation is to the truth, U Zayar Hlaing said, the media's job is to investigate, not to cover up.

"If there's a murder case, we have to report it. It's the media's job to empower society by providing accurate information," he said.

Two local reporters for Reuters are currently serving seven-year prison sentences for breaching a law on state secrets, despite the testimony of a police witness that the pair was arrested as punishment for their reporting of a mass killing of Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine.

U Sein Win, journalism adviser at Internews-Myanmar, said the term "criticism in a positive way" was itself controversial.

 

"If you say no to media criticism on nation building, it could lead to self-censorship, and that's dangerous," he said.

 

U Myint Kyaw said the leaders' perceptions of the media would prompt restrictions on the country's press freedom.

"If it happens, it will have a negative impact on the democratic transition," he said, warning that if the press can't do its job properly, corruption and irregularities in government will go unchecked and the whole country will suffer.

Rather than alienating the media, the government should embrace their views on how to counter fake news, U Zayar Hliang suggested.

"A discussion on how to set up a mechanism to counter fake news with correct information would be more workable," he said.

The post Analysis : National Leaders Send a Chilling Message over Media's Role appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

The Government Leadership’s Military Ties in Pictures

Posted: 29 Nov 2018 04:44 AM PST

YANGON — State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi welcomed the latest ex-military man into her cabinet on Thursday after the Union Parliament approved a former Air Force colonel as the new minister of the Office of the Union Government.

With U Min Thu’s appointment, six of Myanmar’s 25 Union-level ministries are now headed by former or serving military officers, with portfolios ranging from security to religion.

Since the National League for Democracy (NLD) took office in early 2016, many have wondered whether the party has enough senior leaders with the skills and experience to run and fix a country slowing emerging from decades of misrule by the military.

Thanks to the Constitution it drafted in 2008, the military still gets to appoint the ministers of defense, border affairs and home affairs, which oversees the police.

But the NLD has struggled to fill the rest of the cabinet, often turning to former civil servants and even a few military men.

Besides the three ministers appointed by the military itself, ex-military officers are now running the Ministry of the Office of the Union Government, the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture, and the Ministry of Labor, Immigration and Population.

 

The NLD has also appointed two people who were loyal to the military during its time in charge to head two other ministries — U Thaung Tun to run the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations and U Kyaw Tint Swe to run the Ministry of the State Counselor’s Office. The former criticized Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in the early 2000s for her party’s decision to boycott the military regime’s national convention at the time. The latter used to defend the military regime at the UN over its human rights abuses.

Despite some criticism of the picks, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has never publicly explained the reasons for her choices. Some observers suspect they’re meant to placate the military as she nudges the country toward democracy. Others say she simply couldn’t find any qualified candidates within her own inner circle.

Beyond the cabinet, the NLD has also appointed ex-generals to lead two powerful commissions, one to review the country’s existing laws and another to fight corruption.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi appointed Thura U Shwe Mann as chairman of the Parliament’s Legal Affairs and Special Cases Assessment Commission, whose review remit includes the Constitution. The former general was considered the third most powerful man in the military regime of Senior General Than Shwe. Before the 2015 general elections, he was purged as chairman of the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party in a power struggle with then-President Thein Sein and later branded a traitor for allying with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

The Anti-Corruption Commission is headed by U Aung Kyi, a retired major general and former minister of information, of labor and of social welfare, relief and resettlement. He also served as liaison officer to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi while she was under house arrest during the military government.

Many government departments are also still being run by former or serving military officers.

The post The Government Leadership’s Military Ties in Pictures appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Human Casualties Will Be the Cost of War as RCSS Moves North

Posted: 29 Nov 2018 02:38 AM PST

YANGON–With sadness, we look on at the conflict between two ethnic Shan sides using their resources and efforts against each other instead of banding together in their fight against the common enemy– the Myanmar Army.

Three civilians, including an eight-year-old boy, were killed and two others wounded–one of whom just two years old–in the most recent outbreak of fighting in northern Shan State. The Shan State Progressive Party (SSPP) accused the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) of shooting at a building where they mistakenly thought soldiers from the SSPP were staying. It turned out the house was not occupied by soldiers of the SSPP, but rather a civilian family who received the brunt of the attack.

Typically, when the Myanmar Army harms civilians, their actions are subject to an outcry of strong condemnation. Following the recent incident between the RCSS and SSPP, very few people outwardly voiced condemnation of the actions of the ethnic armed group and the tragic consequences of their mistake.

Civilians should be protected. Any armed group's harming of civilians is an abuse of human rights and a violation of international laws. These actions could have untold negative effects, including accusations of war crimes from the international community.

Not a single rights group or political party in Shan State has issued a public statement condemning the actions of the armed group or their rights abuses. The Shan National League for Democracy (SNLD) did send a letter to the SSPP and the RCSS on Nov. 26 warning them to avoid targeting civilians.

Some Shan community leaders, including members of the SNLD, have tried to bring peace negotiations between to the two ethnic armed groups to the table. Despite representatives of the groups having met for discussions twice now, fighting in northern Shan State has only escalated.

Until a few years ago, northern Shan State had enjoyed many years of peace, with the Shan and Ta'ang ethnic groups living in one community peacefully. However, since armed conflict broke out between the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the RCSS in February 2015, the region is no longer stable.

Armed groups are the main cause of a spoiled peace and have caused hatred within communities between the Shan and Ta'ang people, with the former naturally taking the side of the RCSS and the latter supporting the TNLA. The Ta'ang and the Shan people, who have lived in harmony for a long time, have today lost trust in each other.

The recent series of conflicts in Shan State has been ongoing for four years now, at the cost of the lives of many local people, including both the Shan and Ta'ang. Local residents are the victims of war between the ethnic armed groups, and they often have to flee from fighting in or near their villages. They don't feel safe. Having to flee from home so often, they face difficulties in keeping their farms and growing food for their survival.

When conflict arises between rival ethnic armed groups in northern Shan, even the media have a difficult time reporting it. In one recent example, a Ta'ang man was murdered in Namtu Township in October and his family accused the RCSS of killing him. Soon after, however, some nationalistic Shan people blamed me of not reporting when the TNLA killed one of their Shan people.

Originally, the TNLA was the only enemy of the RCSS and would attack them when they tried to operate in northern Shan. Nowadays, however, the RCSS have another rival armed group, the SSPP, who have formed an alliance with the TNLA and have launched joint attacks against the RCSS.

Though both the RCSS and the SSPP are Shan groups, their bases are traditionally located separately, with the RCSS based out of southern Shan State and the SSPP in the north of the State, hundreds of miles apart.

While some Shan back RCSS attacks on the TNLA, almost no one supports fighting between two Shan groups. Meanwhile, a number of nationalistic Shan continue to support the RCSS's movement into northern Shan, despite it igniting conflict in the area.

Fighting first broke out between the RCSS and the TNLA in February 2015 in Namkham Township when the RCSS accused TNLA members of ambushing their soldiers as they returned to their southern headquarters in Loi Tai Leng after attending military training in the north.

The RCSS have always claimed the right to have military bases anywhere in Shan State where ethnic Shan people are living, but northern Shan was never their main base.

After signing the NCA in October 2015, they slowly began to occupy space in northern Shan, a move which the TNLA said was backed by Myanmar Army.

Since their formation in 2009, the TNLA have been based in northern Shan and the Myanmar Army have regularly launched military offensives against them there. However, responses of the TNLA have been sophisticated, using guerrilla strategies and killing many Myanmar Army soldiers. The TNLA believe that the Myanmar Army, after realizing their attacks against the ethnic armed group were ineffective, adopted a policy of using the RCSS as a sort of shield in a bid to reduce their own casualties.

Why has the RCSS moved into northern Shan?

There are several reasons why the RCSS moved north. Northern Shan State has become a key point for border trade between Myanmar and China, especially with China's impending Belt and Road Initiative. China has plans to build a railway link to Myanmar. The RCSS's business interests are a main reason behind their attacks on TNLA and SSPP forces.

As well as this, the RCSS has sights on forcing the TNLA out of northern Shan State which would give them control of more of the land. If they were to run the TNLA out of northern Shan, the RCSS could establish stronger ties with the Myanmar Army who could then act as valuable protectors of their border business affairs.

The RCSS also like the system of the United Wa State Army (UWSA) who have two bases–one at the Chinese border and another at the Thai border in southern Shan. The UWSA enjoys healthy border trade with China and resultantly, they have the largest armed force of all of Myanmar's ethnic armed groups.

The RCSS will become friends with China if they can occupy a large base in northern Shan, and improved border trade could help them emulate the USWA's strength.

Ultimately, the RCSS's efforts as they try to take more control of areas in northern Shan State are likely to cause suffering and human rights abuses for more and more civilians in Shan State as a result of fighting between the rival ethnic armed groups.

The post Human Casualties Will Be the Cost of War as RCSS Moves North appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Climate Change ‘Biggest Global Health Threat’ of Century, Doctors Warn

Posted: 28 Nov 2018 09:33 PM PST

LONDON — Rising heat and wilder weather linked to climate change make it “the biggest global health threat of the 21st century,” with hundreds of millions more people already suffering in the last two decades, medical officials warned Wednesday.

In a hard-hitting report published by The Lancet medical journal, scientists and health experts said climate change impacts–from heat waves to worsening storms, floods and fires–were surging and threatened to overwhelm health systems.

“That’s the thing that really keeps me up at night,” said Nick Watts, executive director of The Lancet Countdown, an annual report tracking connections between public health and climate change.

Storms and floods, for instance, do not only cause direct injuries but can also shut down hospitals, spur disease outbreaks and produce lingering mental health problems, as people lose their homes, he said.

Wildfires, similarly, hurt and uproot people, but also dramatically worsen air pollution in broad areas.

California’s recent wildfires, spurred by drought, have cost more than 80 lives but have also polluted air as far east as Massachusetts, said Gina McCarthy, a former head of the US Environmental Protection Agency now at Harvard University’s public health school.

Kristie Ebi, a professor of global health at the University of Washington, said multiple climate change-related health impacts were often hitting at once. “We see them coming at communities all at the same time,” she said.

The Lancet report, produced by doctors, academics and policy experts from 27 organizations around the world, called for fast action to curb climate change and prepare global health systems for growing challenges.

“A rapidly changing climate has dire implications for every aspect of human life, exposing vulnerable populations to extremes of weather, altering patterns of infectious disease and compromising food security, safe drinking water and clean air,” it warned.

Working Up a Sweat

Already, 157 million more people worldwide were exposed to heat waves last year than in 2000, according to the report.

Hotter weather led to the loss of 153 billion hours of labor in 2017, a 60 percent jump from 2000, as workers in construction, farming and other industries downed tools, often squeezing family income.

In India, heat caused the number of hours worked to fall by almost 7 percent in 2017, Watts said.

Richer countries also are seeing the effects of heat, the report noted.

Europe and the eastern Mediterranean, for instance, appear more vulnerable than Africa and Southeast Asia, it said.

That is largely because so many older people, who are particularly at risk, live in cities that trap heat and can be hotter than surrounding areas, the report said.

England and Wales, for instance, saw 700 more deaths than normal during a 15-day hot spell in June and July this year, Watts said.

Renee Salas, an emergency room doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital in the United States and an author of the report, said she recently treated a 30-year-old man felled by heatstroke while trying to work two construction jobs.

“Keep in mind that for every statistic there is a personal story,” she urged. Such medical cases are the “often hidden human cost of climate change,” she added.

Hunger and Disease

Warmer conditions linked to climate change are enlarging the potential range of mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever as well as other health threats, the report said.

Since 1950, the Baltic region has seen a 24-percent increase in coastal areas suitable for cholera outbreaks, while in sub-Saharan Africa’s highlands, zones where malaria-carrying mosquitoes can survive have expanded by 27 percent.

Hotter conditions may also be giving some disease-causing microbes greater resistance to antibiotics, Salas said.

And higher temperatures seem to be curbing the maximum harvest from farmland in all regions of the world, reversing an earlier trend toward ever-larger harvests, the report noted. Ebi, of the University of Washington, said rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are shrinking nutrients in cereal crops, hiking the risk of malnutrition even for those who get enough to eat.

Mental health threats, meanwhile–from children worried about their future in an overheating world to families stressed by disaster losses–are on the rise, she said.

Acting swiftly to curb climate change–whether by switching to clean energy, or getting more people to walk and use bicycles–would lower healthcare costs by the same amount of money needed to reduce emissions, Ebi said.

“Most mitigation policies are good for health–and they’re good for health now,” she said.

The post Climate Change ‘Biggest Global Health Threat’ of Century, Doctors Warn appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

India Transgender Political Candidate Reappears After Kidnapping Fears

Posted: 28 Nov 2018 09:25 PM PST

MUMBAI — A transgender candidate in state elections in southern India has presented herself at a police station after her disappearance prompted fears of a kidnapping, police said on Thursday.

Chandramukhi Muvvala disappeared minutes after she left her one-room home on Tuesday morning in an informal settlement in Hyderabad, capital of Telangana state, where she is the only transgender candidate participating in Dec. 7 elections.

She walked into Banjara Hills police station in Hyderabad late on Wednesday night with her lawyer, said R. Govinda Reddy, an officer at the station, who added that Muvvala has yet to give a statement about what happened to her.

“Right now we do not suspect anybody. But if she makes an allegation against anyone in her statement, we will inquire into it,” Reddy told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Muvvala was “extremely disoriented” when she reappeared, said her campaign aid Bittu Karthik.

Muvvala is an activist with the Telangana Hijra Intersex Transgender Samiti, a local advocacy group for hijras – or transgender women – which campaigns against transphobic violence.

India has about 2 million transgender people, according to the 2011 census. Although the Supreme Court ruled in 2014 that transgender people have equal rights under the law, they are often shunned and many survive through begging or sex work.

Muvvala’s disappearance sparked concern in the transgender community about her safety, according to Karthik, who is also a member of Telangana Hijra Intersex Transgender Samiti.

“There is disproportionate amount of violence against transgender people and as an electoral candidate, we fear physical violence can be used,” Karthik said on Wednesday.

Police said they had deployed special teams to trace Muvvala after a local court ordered them on Wednesday to produce her in court by Thursday morning.

Karthik said in a text message on Thursday morning that Muvvala would appear in court.

The post India Transgender Political Candidate Reappears After Kidnapping Fears appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

China to Widen Market Access For Foreign Investors: President Xi

Posted: 28 Nov 2018 08:51 PM PST

MADRID — China will widen market access for foreign investors and step up protection of intellectual property rights, China’s President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday ahead of the G20 meeting of world leaders in Argentina.

Speaking before the Spanish upper house of Parliament during a two-day stop in Madrid, Xi also said China planned to import $10 trillion worth of goods over the next five years.

“China will make efforts to open, even more, its doors to the exterior world and we will make efforts to streamline access to markets in the areas of investment and protect intellectual property,” Xi said.

Xi made no reference to US President Donald Trump, who on Monday said he expected to move ahead with raising tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports to 25 percent from the current 10 percent.

But in a joint declaration adopted after Xi’s meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Spain and China said they backed “an open and balanced global economy based on WTO rules, reaffirming their commitment to fighting protectionism and unilateralism.”

Two very small groups of demonstrators, one expressing opposition to China’s human rights record and one waving a “Welcome” sign, gathered outside the senate as the Chinese leader spoke.

Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan earlier stood side by side with Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia in the crisp Madrid winter sun outside the Royal Palace to receive full military honors from the king’s guards.

China and Spain on Wednesday signed an accord on the export of Iberian ham to China, as part of a series of deals inked during the state visit.

But Spain will not sign up to Beijing’s “Belt and Road Initiative,” a wide-ranging development strategy adopted by the Chinese government involving global infrastructure projects, a Spanish government source said. 

The post China to Widen Market Access For Foreign Investors: President Xi appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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Wednesday, November 28, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

A Rare Taste of Rich Czech Cuisine on Offer at Sule Shangri-La Dinner Buffet

Posted: 28 Nov 2018 05:54 AM PST

YANGON—Offering a rare opportunity for Myanmar diners to experience the rich diversity of Czech cuisine, Sule Shangri-La Yangon has arranged a dinner buffet, "Czech A Sar A Sa". The event features authentic dishes from the Central European country and highlights the culinary creations of special guest chef Jiří Vaněček.

The buffet (dinner only) will be available from Nov. 27-30 for US$36 net per person at Café Sule.  

Chlebičky, a sandwich-like Czech appetizer, consists of buttered bread topped with salami, ham and cheese. / Supplied

The Czech Republic is famous for its cultural attractions, including its Gothic and Baroque architecture and rich cuisine—including its legendary beers. Most Czech dishes are meat-based; pork is a particular favorite and many dishes are covered in sauces and thick gravies with amazing flavor combinations.

Crispy pork belly with braised red cabbage stew / Supplied

Czech cuisine draws heavily from its neighbors, including Germany and Austria, but has its own story to tell. Chef Jiří has created a menu for Sule Shangri-La's buffet that includes the traditional Czech soup kulajda and the appetizer chlebičky, along with goulash, strawberry dumplings and many others dishes.

Kulajda is a white creamy soup made with sour cream, potatoes, dill, quail eggs and mushrooms. It's a staple of every Czech home and often served as a main dish. The creamy broth and heavy flavor combination of the ingredients are rather filling, so leave some room for the other dishes.

Guest chef Jiří Vaněček prepares dishes for guests at Sule Shangri-La's buffet. / Supplied

Chlebičky is a traditional appetizer a bit like an open sandwich. The chef spreads butter on slices of bread before lavishing them with salami, ham and cheese. The taste is very pleasing and the presentation is pretty.

Goulash is a meat stew—a pork version is on offer at the buffet. Goulash is a popular dish throughout Central Europe; the Czech variety is a thick stew in gravy flavored with paprika and other spices. It reminded me of our local pork curry, with one essential difference—goulash is served with bread. The tender pork and aromatic spices make for a tasty dish.

A kitchen staff member prepares strawberry dumplings at the dessert counter. / Lwin Mar Htun

I loved the crispy pork belly with braised red cabbage stew, and the honey-glazed roast duck with red cabbage sauce. The crispy pork belly was amazing, thanks in large part to the sauce that accompanied it, with the crispy pork skin contrasting nicely with the tender meat. And the roast duck was perfectly matched by its red cabbage sauce. Duck meat tends to be on the firm side, but the chef was able to bring out the tenderness, and the sauce complemented it nicely.

The salad counter / Lwin Mar Htun

Fruit dumplings are another famous Czech delicacy; the Sule Shangri-La Yangon is serving strawberry ones. The chef uses flour imported all the way from the Czech Republic combined with local seasonal strawberries.

The yellowish dumpling is filled with strawberries and smothered with honey and powdered sugar. If you haven't gotten your fill of strawberries, add a few more to your plate. The sour [sweet?] dessert was the perfect way to the end the meal and left me feeling pleasantly full.

The dessert counter / Supplied

Overall, the Czech buffet was delicious, filling and attractive (though it is light on vegetables, so you might want to grab a salad before you go). All of these mouthwatering dishes will please your palate.  

Table reservations can be made here.

The post A Rare Taste of Rich Czech Cuisine on Offer at Sule Shangri-La Dinner Buffet appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Dr. Cynthia Maung Wins UNDP’s N-Peace Award

Posted: 28 Nov 2018 05:26 AM PST

MANDALAY—Dr. Cynthia Maung, who for decades has been the guiding light of the Mae Tao Clinic just across the Thai border from Myawaddy in Karen State, is among the recipients of this year's N-Peace Awards, bestowed by the United Nations Development Program Asia-Pacific to honor those working to build peace and empower women in conflict zones.

In a statement issued Nov. 24, the UNDP said the award was given in recognition of Dr. Cynthia Maung's work providing emergency maternal healthcare in a conflict area in which women lack access to healthcare services.

Dr. Cynthia Maung has run the Mae Tao Clinic on the outskirts of Mae Sot in Thailand's Tak province since shortly after the pro-democracy uprising in Myanmar in 1988. The clinic provides health care to migrant workers and ethnic minority people displaced by conflict in Myanmar, especially in Karen State and nearby regions.

"Cynthia Maung is praised for her work developing a system of providing emergency maternal healthcare in vulnerable and/or conflict situations. With women particularly affected by a lack of access to healthcare services, her important work has made an incredible impact on hundreds of thousands of people," the statement reads.

Dr. Cynthia Maung was one of 56 nominees for this year's awards from numerous countries in the region including Afghanistan, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines and Sri Lanka.

An online voting process resulted in the selection of 10 N-Peace Award winners. The nine other winners include activists from Afghanistan, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. All the recipients work in peace-building or efforts to end violence against women and children.

The N-Peace Awards were established in 2010 to strengthen the role of women in peace-building and conflict resolution, especially in Afghanistan, Myanmar, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines and Sri Lanka.

"This year's winners are notable for their determined efforts to change the landscape of inequitable gender relations during and post conflict, particularly when it comes to sexual violence, and access to justice, services, and information," Valerie Cliff, UNDP's deputy regional director for Asia-Pacific and director of the Bangkok Regional Hub, was quoted as saying in the statement released on Saturday.

From humble beginnings, Dr. Cynthia Maung's clinic has expended significantly and currently provides free healthcare to hundreds of patients every day, with the help of about 700 staff, including about 200 volunteers. Most of her patients are landmine victims from ethnic communities, people living with HIV, and pregnant women or mothers in need of emergency maternal healthcare.

The clinic treats an average of 420 patients per day and more than 110,000 people annually—10 percent of them inpatients. It delivers more than 2,500 babies a year, according to the clinic's website.

Although it receives some support from international governments and foundations, the bulk of the clinic's funding comes from individual donors and non-governmental organizations. In recent years, the clinic has had trouble raising the funds it needs, however.

Dr. Cynthia Maung's humanitarian work has drawn comparisons with Mother Teresa, and she has been honored with dozens of humanitarian awards including the 2002 Ramon Magsaysay Award, the 2008 Catalonia International Prize (along with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi), the 2013 Sydney Peace Prize and the Roux Award in September this year.

The post Dr. Cynthia Maung Wins UNDP's N-Peace Award appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Mandalay Chases Dream of Becoming Myanmar’s First Smart City

Posted: 28 Nov 2018 04:53 AM PST

YANGON — With ambitions of becoming a genuine smart city, Mandalay — the country’s last royal capital at more than 160 years old — is in the midst of a high-tech makeover at the government’s behest thanks to an eclectic team of doctors, engineers, lawyers, writers, journalists and IT experts.

After a year of work out of the spotlight, the Mandalay City Development Committee (MCDC) was recently rewarded for its efforts, being named among the top five urban areas in Southeast Asia making progress toward smart-city status.

The goal came to Mandalay City Mayor U Ye Lwin last year while attending a mayors’ forum in South Korea, an established proponent of integrating urban planning with IT.

As soon as U Ye Lwin returned home, he introduced his team to the concept of the Internet of Things (IoT) as a way to optimize city operations and services and to connect with citizens.

"We gave up the e-government trend because most government departments are not ready yet. We decided to create an IT-based city by ourselves," U Kyaw San Myint, a MCDC members and spokesman for the municipal government, told The Irrawaddy.

Cars drive through an intersection installed with CCTV cameras in downtown Mandalay. / The Irrawaddy

Formed after the 2015 general elections that swept the National League for Democracy to power, the MCDC comprises 11 seats filled by five members appointed by the Mandalay Region government and the elected administrator of each of the city’s six townships.

Some 6,000 civil servants oversee the city of more than 1 million people spread over 900 square km.

Looking for ideas on how to become a smart city, the MCDC visited Singapore over last year’s Burmese New Year holidays.

"We spent our own money for the trip. It was informal. After we notified the Singapore Embassy in Myanmar, the Singapore government let us observe its whole system," U Kyaw San Myint said.

They came away with lots of ideas, combining them with the expertise of Myanmar nationals who have worked in Singapore either for the government or local businesses.

High-tech infrastructure

Smart-city plans have become popular with cities around the world striving to use IT to become more efficient, share information with the public and improve the lives of their citizens.

People look at a board announcing the design of a new path around Mandalay Palace. / The Irrawaddy

They collect and analyze data from sensors and video cameras to help them manage their transport networks, power plants, water supplies and waste management systems, police forces, schools, libraries, hospitals and other services.

The technology allows city officials to interact directly with infrastructure and to monitor what is happening in the city as it evolves.

With help from the Asian Development Bank, Japan, Singapore, the Netherland and other international experts, the MCDC has been using IoT technology to change the way Mandalay fixes roads, manages traffic, collects road tolls, cleans its streets and charges for water.

As in Singapore, for example, the city’s traffic lights now adjust automatically based on the level of congestion. Radio frequency identification is being used let drivers pay road tolls electronically, replacing the cash payments so susceptible to corruption.

Installed censors are keeping track of water pipelines and water meters in real time to detect leaks. The city has also started installing meters government employees can read remotely using a smart phone app. The system was developed by Daw Myint Myint Than, who worked as an engineer in Singapore for more than 13 years and now runs Mandalay City’s Water and Sanitation Department.

Mandalay is also trying to cope with piles of garbage clogging the drainage system and exacerbating rainy season floods.

Employees work at the technology control center at MCDC headquarters. / The Irrawaddy

To that end, the city drew up a waste management plan to maximize trash collection and the three Rs — reduce, reuse, recycle — by setting up designated public bins and promoting their use in schools. It has organized volunteers in designated model communities to lead recycling campaigns and cleanup drives to cut down on the use of unofficial dumpsites. The mayor himself joins locals and activists collecting trash in public areas every Sunday. Illegal dumping fines range from 50,000 kyats for individuals to 200,000 kyats for factories and construction sites; those who report them get half the fine as a reward.

The MCDC has fixed the city’s garbage trucks with GPS tracking devices that monitor their routes and alert the control center if the trucks deviate.

"The city’s rubbish system is well managed for now. But if population growth rises rapidly, we need to think about how to handle the dumpsites," said MCDC member U Thit Sinn, who has been learning from Japan’s recycling and zero emissions programs.

The development committee has also been adapting Singapore’s system for managing its wet markets to fit Mandalay, focusing on cleanliness, hygiene and making the food on sale chemical free. The city if working with the Food and Drug Administration to fight the use of unauthorized but widely used food dyes and to check the provenance of the food on sale.

"The first time, we warned them. The second time, they have to pay a large penalty. The third time, they have to close their shop for a period of time," U Kyaw San Myint said.

After six months of monitoring, the city’s largest market, Zaycho, was certified as free of the use of unauthorized dyes.

MCDC headquarters. / The Irrawaddy

Taking advantage of the rapid growth of social media, the MCDC is also gathering data from city employees via Viber, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp.

Each MCDC department has its own chat group on Viber; members share and receive updates throughout the day and well into the night. Those responsible for street lights, for example, have to check that the lights are working every night and share photos with the group.

"This way we keep in touch with employees. It’s really convenient when we can't do a ground inspection. We can check the real situation just by seeing the updated photos and messages," U Kyaw San Myint said.

The MCDC is collecting data on traffic, waste and water management and air quality to help the city cut down on pollution. A smart parking system is also up and running in a few of the townships using an automated payment system.

Aiming for 2040

Situated along the Irrawaddy River and near an active fault line, Mandalay has always been vulnerable to floods and earthquakes, all the more so as the city rises and expands into low-lying areas.

People exercise near Mandalay Palace. / The Irrawaddy

An influx of Chinese immigrants over the past 20 years has also put an added strain on the traffic system of Mandalay, the economic heart of upper Burma.

"Mandalay is experiencing a rapid increase in vehicles. The number of vehicles has increased fivefold in eight years. But we cannot expand the roads as the number of vehicles increases. We need a strategic solution for this," said U Ye Myat Thu, the MCDC’s designated smart city officer.

To cope, the MDCD is working with the Department of Human Settlement and Housing Development and the Japan International Cooperation Agency on an urban development plan looking ahead to 2040. It aims to reduce flood risks and manage the city’s trash, water and wastewater systems with the aid of high-tech solutions.

The draft plan calls for developing designated commercial and industrial zones at the southern end of the city, establishing a satellite town in the east, constructing a logistics hub, restructuring the existing central business district and touristic sites, building modern housing, drawing up a public transportation master plan, and upgrading the ports, airports, highways, electrical grid and the water, wastewater and trash collection systems.

U Ye Myat Thu said staff were collecting data to inform the plan and that a wastewater treatment plant was already under construction. He said Japan had also started working on a drainage master plan to cut down on flooding.

Facing resistance

The team has faced considerable challenges in its quest to turn Mandalay into a full-fledged smart city, including a dearth of human resources, disagreement with the Mandalay Region Parliament, budget constraints, red tape and corruption.

"We don't have enough tech experts. Even if we could find experts, we could not give them a high salary under government rules and regulations. So it is difficult to find experts," said U Kyaw San Myint.

The address the human resource shortage, the MCDC recently began recruiting computer science and engineering graduates; the mayor has even extended a personal invitation on his Facebook page.

But the shortage was made only worse after 20 employees, including some senior officials, were fired for corruption since the MCDC was formed, some for taking bribes to approve construction permits.

"There is always resistance to change. Sometimes there is even resistance from our own employees," U Ye Myat Thu said.

After fitting the garbage trucks with tracking devices, some employees deliberately disabled the devices by flooding them with water.

People walk past a recycling bin near Mandalay Palace. / The Irrawaddy

"We have people from different backgrounds. Some people come from the military. Sometimes it is hard to reason with them. Some people have followed the changes but some are still resisting the changes. But we are trying to cope with those problem," U Kyaw San Myint said.

In Parliament, some lawmakers have challenged some of the MCDC’s projects and criticized it for spending lots of money on high-tech software and equipment. They rejected a proposal to increase fines, arguing that the move would hurt the National League for Democracy’s image.

Public feedback

Some citizens are worried that some of the smart-city projects could diminish Mandalay’s heritage and damage its historic buildings.

"We want the new smart city that reflects what it [Mandalay] used to be," said Sue Nghet, a popular local author, noting that there were no heritage experts on the development committee.

People have also complained about the committee’s recent decision to replace the iron railing running along the moat that surrounds Mandalay Palace with a steel one, arguing that it does not fit into the historic surroundings.

"We all really appreciate what they have done for the city, but the decision was totally against the public will," Sue Nghet said.

Regional lawmakers said they also appreciated the development committee’s efforts but added that it should do more to solicit public input, noting that Mandalay’s outskirts still lacked traffic lights and regular garbage service and that squatters remained a problem.

"I see that the committee is paving the nylon [and tar] roads without thinking about the drainage system," said U Saw Thiha, an experienced urban planner.

"The smart city idea is brilliant. But infrastructure activities, particularly the construction of nylon [and tar] roads, should be done with long-tern urban planning," he said.

U Hla Moe, a lawmaker, said some residents were dissatisfied with city services.

"Demand is high. They can't fulfill all the requests from the people," he said.

The MCDC is designing a standardized online map of Mandalay that better locates sites than Google, whose own map of the city can prove spotty. It also plans to upgrade street signs to meet international standards and to launch an app residents can use to pay their municipal bills and fees at private banks instead of government offices.

For all the MCDC’s efforts, U Ye Myat Thu said he could not predict when Mandalay will become a truly smart city but insisted the committee was determined to lay down the necessary foundations before the next general elections in 2020.

"We have a smart city dream. It requires hard work and determination. The important thing is that the right people are in the right positions on the committee so that we can work effectively. When the leader works hard to make a dream come true, all of us have to follow," said U Kyaw San Myint.

The post Mandalay Chases Dream of Becoming Myanmar’s First Smart City appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

$187M Road Planned on Myanmar’s West Coast for ‘Security’ and ‘Development’

Posted: 28 Nov 2018 03:57 AM PST

PATHEIN—A coastal road stretching 274 kilometers (170 miles) from Rakhine State's Thandwe to Gaw Yin Gyi Island in Irrawaddy Region's Ngapudaw Township will be built at a cost of around 300 billion kyats ($187 million), according to Irrawaddy Region Minister for Finance and Planning U Htay Win.

At the instruction of President U Win Myint, the coastal road will be built during the term of the current government to help spur the economic development of Thandwe and ensure security along the 170-mile stretch of coast, he said.

"This road is important not only for the economy but also for the security of the coast and the region. The president has instructed the construction ministry to build the road. We are making a start on it," U Htay Win told The Irrawaddy.

There are five beaches—Maw Tin Sun, Gaw Yin Gyi, Ngwesaung, Chaungtha and Shwe Thaung Yan—on the coast of Irrawaddy Region. In Rakhine State, two beaches lie on the Bay of Bengal, namely Kan Thar Yar Beach in Gwa Township and the famous Ngapali Beach in Thandwe.

The coastal road will create a short-cut for traveling between Irrawaddy Region and Rakhine State and will also enable beach-to-beach travel between Myanmar's most famous beaches.

Another purpose of the road is to improve security along Myanmar's western coast as the waters have been known to be used by the stateless Rohingya, who are banned from traveling outside Rakhine State, to get into others part of Myanmar via Irrawaddy Region's beaches.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the first segment of the road, Pathein Bridge No. 2 in Irrawaddy Region's capital Pathein on Oct. 27, President U Win Myint called for the rest of the project to be completed on schedule as it will contribute to the security and sovereignty of the country, adding that the road will be the longest ever coastal road in the world.

"This road is important not only for the development of western parts [of the country] but also for the security and sovereignty of the country," the president said in his address to the Irrawaddy regional government.

He also attended the opening of Shwe Thaung Yan Bridge in Shwe Thaung Yan Township, which is part of the western coast road project, on Oct. 28.

In November, Kyuauk Kyun Bridge linking Rakhine State and Irrawaddy Region was opened to the public. The opening ceremony was attended by both the Rakhine and Irrawaddy chief ministers.

Two more bridges are yet to be built in Irrawaddy Region in order to connect it to the beaches in Rakhine. Those bridges will be built by the construction ministry, said U Htay Win.

"The project is being implemented with funds of both the Union and regional governments. Both technically and financially, the two remaining bridges have to be constructed by the construction ministry," he said.

The Irrawaddy regional government also has drawn up plans to build offshore supply bases, deep-sea ports, and gas-fired power plants upon completion of the coastal road.

The post $187M Road Planned on Myanmar's West Coast for 'Security' and 'Development' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Witness in Murder Trial of Facebook Comedian Contradicts Statement to Police

Posted: 28 Nov 2018 12:58 AM PST

YANGON — A prosecution witness in the high-profile murder trial of a popular comedian has told the court that he did not see the suspects attack the victim, contradicting his statement to police.

Ko Aung Yell Htwe, a popular comedian on Facebook, was beaten and kicked by a group of men in One Entertainment Park in Thuwunna Township during a New Year's celebration on Dec. 31. He underwent surgery at Yangon People's Hospital for his injuries but died on Jan. 2.

Three suspects — Ko Than Htut Aung, Ko Pyae Phyo Aung and Ko Kyaw Zaw Han — were detained in connection with his death.

The Yangon Eastern District Court heard testimony on Tuesday from Ko Kaung Myat Lin, a friend of the three murder suspects, and U Ohn Thwin, the administrator of Thuwunna Township’s Ward 24.

Ko Kaung Myat Lin said he was with Ko Kyaw Zaw Han the entire time they were at the park, offering an alibi for the accused.

Answering questions from Ko Kyaw Zaw Han's lawyer, he said that when a fight broke out on the VVIP stage he pulled Ko Kyaw Zaw Han down from the stage. He said Ko Than Htut Aung and Ko Pyae Phyo Aung also ran off the stage and left the park.

Ko Kaung Myat Lin said he had known the three suspects for about three years.

His testimony contradicted the statement he gave earlier to police claiming that he saw the three suspects either hitting or kicking Ko Aung Yell Htwe on the stage.

At the last hearing on Nov. 20, Ko Kyaw Zaw Han’s girlfriend, Ma Aye Chan Myint, also testified that they were together during all their time at the park and that he was not involved in the attack on Ko Aung Yell Htwe.

To date 15 of 22 prosecution witnesses have appeared in court, including friends of the suspects, the victim’s brother, parents and girlfriend and the manager and security staff at the park. The next hearing is scheduled for Dec. 4.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Rohingya Refugee Leaders in Bangladesh Call Off Work Strike Early

Posted: 27 Nov 2018 09:41 PM PST

DHAKA — The leaders of Rohingya refugee camps in the Ukhia region of Cox's Bazar District in Bangladesh on Tuesday called off what was to be a three-day strike that started Monday after the government agreed to discuss their demands, including a reference to their ethnicity as Rohingya on ID cards.

"We have decided to pause this strike because we have already been approached by Bangladesh authorities to discuss our demands," they said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Our strike has definitely drawn attention to the issues of Rohingya identity and the lack of consultation with Rohingya refugees by the UNHCR and other authorities in relations to the smart card," it adds.

The camp leaders say it is crucial that Rohingya refugees who have fled Myanmar be identified by their ethnicity on the cards the UNHCR, the UN’s refugee agency, is issuing them because they are being persecuted in Myanmar specifically because of their ethnicity. Myanmar does not recognize the Rohingya as an ethnic group and refers to them as Bengali, implying they are illegal migrants from Bangladesh even though many have been living in Myanmar for generations.

The leaders claimed that many of the refugees in Ukhia observed the strike on Monday.

Bangladesh Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mohammad Abul Kalam, who visited the camps on Tuesday, confirmed that authorities were in talks with the leaders about their concerns.

Among their other demands, the camp leaders asked that the UNHCR stop pressuring refugees into submitting their biometric data for the cards and to not share the data with Myanmar, fearing the government could misuse it to continue to persecute them.

"UNHCR is aware of reports that members of the refugee community are peacefully voicing their opinions regarding the ongoing joint Government of Bangladesh-UNHCR verification exercise. Refugees are consulted regularly and often express their opinion on matters that impact their lives,” Firas al-Khateeb, a spokesman for the UNHCR in Cox's Bazar, told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday.

He said the “verification exercise” would help Bangladesh and the UNHCR consolidate uniform data on the refugees to help authorities manage the population, now numbering over 1 million, and to help the refugees access services.

More than 29,000 refugees have registered for the cards since Bangladesh and the UNHCR launched the program in June, according to Bangladeshi authorities. And despite the concerns, refugees were continuing to register on Tuesday.

"The verification exercise is aimed at providing Rohingya refugees with enhanced protection and ensure their access to services in Bangladesh. It is not linked to repatriation. Any return to Myanmar must be based on the individual and voluntary choice of refugees when they feel conditions are safe for them to do so," Firas al-Khateeb said.

"Any process associated with voluntary repatriation, including assessments of their willingness to return, should and will be carried out separately from the current verification exercise."

The post Rohingya Refugee Leaders in Bangladesh Call Off Work Strike Early appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

As Singapore Enters Twilight of Lee Era, Ruling Party Prepares for Change

Posted: 27 Nov 2018 09:30 PM PST

SINGAPORE — Modern city-state Singapore is a predictable place: it’s hot and humid every day, unabashedly pro-business, immaculately clean–no chewing gum anywhere–and the government is usually run by a Lee.

Last week, the wheels of change were set in motion through an opaque reorganization within the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), a move that put in place the likely successor once Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong steps aside.

Prime Minister Lee, the son of Singapore’s founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, is nearly 67 and has said he will step down by the time he is 70.

Having held power since 2004, he is widely expected to go after an election that must take place by early 2021, and the end of the Lee era will pitch Singapore into a rare state of flux at a sensitive time.

Singapore’s economic model is under threat, there is unease over inequality in the land of "Crazy Rich Asians," and social media has given critics of the government–both genuine and fake–a platform that they’ve never had before.

Since its separation from Malaysia in 1965, Singapore has become a rich, tiny rock of stability, surrounded by large, mostly Muslim, and politically less predictable neighbors.

Living on an island of 5.6 million people, the only country in Southeast Asia where ethnic Chinese are in majority, Singaporeans are very conscious of the value of stability and security.

That awareness, along with an appreciation of their relative prosperity, helps explain an ingrained reluctance to rock the boat. The PAP has won every election since Singapore’s independence over half a century ago and there is no sign that the party’s position is in jeopardy.

But its leaders are not taking anything for granted, especially after a political earthquake in next-door Malaysia, where a party that had led every post-colonial government suffered a humiliating election defeat in May.

"The ruling party, the PAP, does not have a monopoly of power, does not have the right to rule Singapore indefinitely," Prime Minister Lee said days after the Malaysian vote.

Lee is only Singapore’s third prime minister after his father and Goh Chok Tong, who had to contend with speculation he was a seat-warmer for the younger Lee who served as deputy prime minister during his 14 years in charge.

Lee, 66, has already said he does not think any of his four children will enter politics. It is unclear whether Lee will withdraw from politics completely or retain influence as a senior statesman, as both Goh and his father had done.

Succession in Singapore had previously been decided over cake and coffee, years in advance, but this time it was left up to a group of sixteen ministers, dubbed the fourth generation, or 4G, to pick among themselves­–a process that has been compared to how cardinals pick the pope.

The process concluded last Friday, when finance minister Heng Swee Keat, 57, was given a key position within the party’s top decision-making body and declared "first among equals."

Asked if Heng would take over as PAP leader once Lee steps aside, a party spokesman directed Reuters to local media reports which described him as the frontrunner or leader of the younger 4G ministers. He did not provide further comment.

Untested Leadership

A jovial, bespectacled former central banker, Heng is seen as a "safe pair of hands" – especially given one of Singapore’s most immediate challenges is keeping its open economy on an even keel in the face of rising protectionism and trade disputes between global powers.

Commentators in Singapore’s largely pro-government mainstream media noted that the PAP went to great lengths to stress its unity behind Heng, who in 2016 had suffered a stroke and collapsed during a cabinet meeting.

"Leadership transitions in political parties are generally never smooth," Straits Times news editor Zakir Hussain said in an article on Saturday, pointing to recent political ructions in Australia, Britain and Germany.

"There is no reason to expect that the PAP–which has stayed cohesive for most of the 59 years it has been in power–might not one day face such divisions."

Former PAP lawmaker Inderjit Singh said the next election will be a "referendum" on the untested new leadership team.

"None of the 4G leaders have delivered ground breaking policy initiatives…So it is important for the 4G leaders to show…their own initiative of delivering policies that satisfy Singaporeans and they have to do it fast," said Singh.

"If they fail, trust (in the PAP) will be eroded, and this could change the political landscape of Singapore."

Recently popularized by Hollywood film “Crazy Rich Asians,” Singapore has some of the highest paid politicians in the world, partly to attract top drawer candidates to public service and partly to remove the temptations of corruption.

The prime minister, for example, earns S$2.2 million ($1.6 million) a year.

Singapore’s rapid growth from colonial backwater to low-tax, financial hub has lifted all boats, and its poor are still far better off than they would be in neighboring countries.

But there are rising concerns over inequality, particularly as its society is aging rapidly.

Critical Voices

Social media has given more space for criticism and dissent, and the PAP’s political transition comes as Singapore steps up its battle against so-called "fake news."

In recent weeks, authorities have blocked access to a foreign-based news site, lambasted social media firm Facebook for failing to take down a post, and seized equipment from local blog The Online Citizen (TOC) in a defamation investigation.

These incidents have strengthened calls from some lawmakers for legislation to tackle what they term ‘deliberate online falsehoods’.

"The reaction in recent times have been excessive," TOC’s editor Terry Xu told Reuters. "Typically, the Singapore government would just issue a general libel or rebuttal."

Following the TOC incident, Human Rights Watch said in a statement it was concerned "rights abusing attacks against freedom of expression will get worse as the ruling PAP contemplates a possible election in 2019."

Reporters Without Borders, which ranks Singapore below Russia and Myanmar for press freedoms, also raised concerns about the TOC incident and the potential for a tougher government stance on the media as elections near.

A spokeswoman for Singapore’s communications ministry said in an emailed statement the TOC investigation "is in no way related to elections," adding:

"Robust discussions, including criticism of the government, take place every day on various platforms. But we will not allow the integrity of our public institutions to be impugned under the cover of free speech."

Gillian Koh of the Institute of Policy Studies, one of the experts cited in a recent parliamentary report on fake news that recommended more legislation, said the upcoming election is "an important factor" for lawmakers.

Singapore’s vulnerabilities, given its diverse society, the risk of terror threats, and its position as a financial hub were other strong reasons for bringing in such laws, she said.

The government’s latest run-ins with media "strengthen the government’s case," Koh said, but she added that pursuit of stronger laws may also fuel cynicism that it was driven by "partisan interests."

The post As Singapore Enters Twilight of Lee Era, Ruling Party Prepares for Change appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

India Throws Book at Schools Making Young Pupils Carry Heavy Bags

Posted: 27 Nov 2018 09:23 PM PST

MUMBAI/NEW DELHI — Concerned about producing a generation of children with hunched backs and other spine problems, India has denounced schools for making students carry heavy school bags and giving young children homework.

The government has issued weight guidelines for school bags depending on a child’s age, citing studies that show how the load can affect soft, developing spines.

One survey done by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India found that 68 percent of pre-teen children might suffer from mild back pain, which can develop into chronic back pain, and later into a hunchback.

The study, which covered more than 2,500 children and 1,000 parents in major cities, found that more than 88 percent of children from seven to 13 carry more than 45 percent of their body weight on their backs.

Rashmi Tapke, a mother of two, said heavy school bags reflect poor timetable planning and said she supports the federal initiative.

“If [the schools] plan, they can repeat the subjects taught and thus reduce the load. My kids find it difficult to carry so many books,” Tapke, whose children attend a private school in Mumbai, said.

The state of Maharashtra, where Mumbai is located, mandates that the weight on the bag should not exceed 10 percent of the child’s body weight. Many schools there have started using white boards and projectors to ensure textbooks are not required to be carried to school.

But in large parts of rural India, children have to walk great distances, weighed down by school bags. Children have been known to ford rivers, some with books on their heads, to get to school.

“My frail daughter has to haul about 4 to 5 kilograms of books in her school bag and also carry her lunch box and water bottle in a separate bag,” said driver Rajinder Shukla, whose child attends a school in most populous Uttar Pradesh State.

The federal circular also suggests that no homework be assigned to kids in grades 1 and 2 which will also ensure they don’t need to carry books home.

The post India Throws Book at Schools Making Young Pupils Carry Heavy Bags appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

China Will Retaliate ‘In Proportion’ to Any US Sanction over Muslim Uighurs: Ambassador

Posted: 27 Nov 2018 08:28 PM PST

WASHINGTON — China will retaliate “in proportion” if the United States sanctions its top official in the restive region of Xinjiang over alleged human rights abuses, China’s ambassador to the United States said on Tuesday, adding that Beijing’s policies in the region are to “re-educate” terrorists.

Chinese Ambassador to Washington Cui Tiankai told Reuters in an interview that China’s efforts to combat international terrorism are held to a double standard, comparing Chinese actions in Xinjiang to US troops battling Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

“Can you imagine (if) some American officials in charge of the fight against ISIS would be sanctioned?” Cui said, adding “if such actions are taken, we have to retaliate.”

Cui did not elaborate on specific actions China might take.

Beijing has faced an outcry from activists, academics, foreign governments and UN rights experts over mass detentions and strict surveillance of the mostly Muslim Uighur minority and other Muslim groups in Xinjiang.

In August, a United Nations human rights panel said it had received many credible reports that a million or more Uighurs in China are being held in what resembles a “massive internment camp that is shrouded in secrecy."

US officials have said the Trump administration is considering sanctions targeting companies and officials linked to China’s crackdown on minority Muslims, including Xinjiang Party Secretary Chen Quanguo, who, as a member of the powerful politburo, is in the upper echelons of China’s leadership.

Cui said that while the United States was using missiles and drones to kill terrorists, “we are trying to re-educate most of them, trying to turn them into normal persons (who) can go back to normal life,” Cui said.

“We’ll see what will happen. We will do everything in proportion,” he said, responding to a question on how China would retaliate to possible US sanctions on Chen.

Cui’s comments are the strongest response yet to US threats on the issue.

Any such US sanctions decision against so senior an official as Chen would be a rare move on human rights grounds by the Trump administration, which is engaged in a trade war with China while also seeking Beijing’s help to resolve a standoff over North Korea’s nuclear weapons.

US sanctions could be imposed under the Global Magnitsky Act, a federal law that allows the US government to target human rights violators around the world with freezes on any US assets, US travel bans, and prohibitions on Americans doing business with them, US officials have said.

Chinese authorities routinely deny any ethnic or religious repression in Xinjiang. They say strict security measures – likened by critics to near martial law conditions, with police checkpoints, the detention centers, and mass DNA collection – are needed to combat the influence of extremist groups.

After initial blanket denials of the detention facilities, officials have said that some citizens guilty of “minor offenses” were sent to vocational centers to improve employment opportunities.

At a briefing in Washington on Monday, a Uighur woman, Mihrigul Tursun, 29, told reporters she had experienced physical and psychological torture, including electrocution while strapped to a chair, during 10 months in Xinjiang detention centers.

Tursun, who wept and shook as a translator read her prepared statement, said her three children were taken from her while she was in detention and that her four-month-old son had died without explanation in government custody.

Rejecting Chinese government claims that the detention facilities serve vocational purposes, she said many of the dozens of other women in her cell were “well-educated professionals, such as teachers and doctors.”

Tursun said she witnessed nine women die during one three-month period she spent in detention, including from sickness after being denied medical treatment.

Reuters could not independently verify her account, though numerous former detainees have begun to share similar first-hand details with media. China’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tursun’s statement.

Independent assessments of the conditions in Xinjiang are nearly impossible given restrictions on journalists from openly reporting from the region.

UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet has called on China to allow monitors in Xinjiang, though Beijing has responded by telling her to respect China’s sovereignty.

The post China Will Retaliate 'In Proportion' to Any US Sanction over Muslim Uighurs: Ambassador appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

New Zealand Govt Rejects Telco’s Plan to Use Huawei 5G Equipment

Posted: 27 Nov 2018 08:25 PM PST

A government agency rejected Spark New Zealand’s proposal to use 5G equipment of China’s Huawei Technologies Co Ltd in its planned network citing significant national security risks, the telco said on Wednesday.

The decision by New Zealand’s Director-General of the Government Communications Security Bureau comes months after Australia banned the Chinese firm for the same reason. It comes at a time when Western countries are increasingly worried about the rising influence of Chinese companies in the Asia Pacific region.

Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that the US government is trying to persuade wireless and internet providers in allied countries to avoid telecommunications equipment from China’s Huawei Technologies.

Huawei did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Earlier this year, neighboring Australia banned Huawei from supplying equipment for a 5G mobile network citing national security risks.

Australia expanded its national security rules in August to exclude telecommunication equipment suppliers that it believes have ties to foreign governments.

The New Zealand bureau’s decision means that Spark cannot implement or give effect to its proposal to use Huawei equipment in its planned 5G network, the company said in a statement.

However, Spark said it remains confident the decision will not affect its plans to launch 5G network by July 1, 2020.

The post New Zealand Govt Rejects Telco's Plan to Use Huawei 5G Equipment appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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