Tuesday, December 18, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Myanmar Couple, Children Murdered in Thailand

Posted: 18 Dec 2018 05:53 AM PST

YANGON — A Myanmar couple and their children, including a four-month-old baby, were murdered in the Thai border town of Mae Sot on Sunday, according to a community volunteer.

U Zayar, vice chairman of the People’s Volunteer Association, said he visited the family’s hut — where the attack occurred — with local police. He said the victims included the baby; husband, 47; wife, 45; and their other child, who was 4.

"All four were bludgeoned to death. The four-month-old was beaten in the face and died near its mother. The others were beaten on the head. The four-year-old was beaten and thrown into a lake in front of the hut," he said.

Two bloodstained iron rods and a bloody piece of wood found near their bodies were collected as evidence by the police, he added.

U Zayar said the couple made a living cutting sugar cane or tending cattle in the area, and that the wife’s three other children from a previous marriage were away from home when the attack occurred.

He said the woman’s 19-year-old daughter told police that her parents had a quarrel with a neighbor couple and their friend over a cow the night of the attack. He said the three were seen leaving the area that night and that police were searching for them as suspects.

"The three suspects, including a couple living in the same compound and a male friend of theirs, ran away the same night. They had a quarrel with the victims earlier. The police suspect that they killed the victims and are looking for them," U Zayar said.

A police official in Karen State’s Myawaddy Township, across the border from Mae Sot, said Myanmar police would cooperate with their Thai counterparts to investigate the case.

Translated from Burmese by Myint Win Thein.

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Army’s Willingness to Sit Down with FPNCC Members Shows China’s Growing Clout

Posted: 18 Dec 2018 05:14 AM PST

China has stepped up its role in the peace process in Myanmar, especially as it relates to conflicts along the China-Myanmar border in northern Shan State. Beijing understands that stability and peace on the border will benefit both countries.

In particular, China is playing an important role as peace broker between the Myanmar Army and members of the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC). Sun Guoxiang, special envoy for Asian affairs at China's Foreign Ministry, is Beijing's go-between tasked with convincing the Myanmar Army (or Tatmadaw) to sit down with the FPNCC in peace negotiations.

On several occasions Sun has traveled to Naypyitaw to meet with military leaders, then traveled to the border to relay their messages to FPNCC members. Previously, Sun had found it difficult to convince the Myanmar Army to enter peace negotiations with the FPNCC. Until recently, the Tatmadaw refused to accept the participation of the Arakan Army (AA), Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) in peace negotiations.

Given the difficulty of convincing Myanmar military commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Sun sometimes resorted to telling FPNCC members at meetings how nicely dressed the senior general's wife was dressed, and describing her traditional attire. The FPNCC leaders wanted to hear a message regarding peace negotiations, but instead had to listen to talk of Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing's wife.

And while some FPNCC leaders may have found the discussion of Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing's wife meaningless, they themselves had nothing to say to Sun. At that time, the FPNCC leaders believed that the peace mission from China was a failure.

According to statements issued last week, however, the Myanmar Peace Commission has accepted the participation of the AA, TNLA and MNDAA in peace negotiations. The FPNCC members and China both feel that some progress has been made in peace negotiations, with this change of heart by the Myanmar Army.

If China is able to broker a peace agreement between the Myanmar Army and the ethnic armed organizations (EAOs), it could bring the armed conflicts in northern Shan State and Arakan State to an end.

The Chinese Embassy in Yangon even issued a statement last week welcoming both the MPC's statement and a joint statement from the AA, TNLA and MNDAA agreeing to work toward further peace negotiations.

China places an emphasis on peace negotiations and would continue to provide the necessary support for the process, the embassy statement said.

China put a lot of pressure on the Myanmar Army to accept the participation of the three groups, according to some FPNCC leaders. Myanmar and China have agreed to build a railway from Muse in northern Shan to Mandalay. According to the FNPCC members, China is using such projects as economic leverage over Myanmar's military leadership.

The railway project between the two countries forms part of a proposed economic corridor that is itself part of Beijing's huge regional infrastructure development strategy known as the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese Ambassador Hong Liang said at the October signing of a memorandum of understanding to build the project.

During his speech, the ambassador made a point of saying that the project will support economic development, peace and stability in northern Shan State.

China the priority for Myanmar military

The Myanmar government and military's view of China has not always been so rosy. The previous government of former President U Thein Sein courted favor from Western countries to support the peace process and economic development. At that time, China was a lesser priority for Naypyitaw.

But as Western countries have put increasing pressure and sanctions on the Myanmar Army and government over the crisis in Rakhine State and rights abuses against the Rohingya, Naypyitaw has increasingly turned to China. Given the large portion of Myanmar's economy that is controlled by the Tatmadaw, and China's increasing role in development projects, Beijing will find many ways to pressure the Myanmar Army to build peace.

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Peace Process Will Remain in Deadlock if Single Army Issue Cannot Be Resolved

Posted: 18 Dec 2018 05:04 AM PST

YANGON—The issue of establishing a single army will remain an obstacle to the ongoing peace process as long as the stakeholders of the Tatmadaw (Myanmar Army) and the ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) both hold their positions on the current conditions of the agreement, according to peace observers and stakeholders.

"The ideology of the single army is blurred, thus the conditions were raised when we talked about the issues," said Col. Khun Okkar, patron of the Pa-O Nationalities Liberation Organization during his remarks at the book launch of "Non-secession, Single Army and Self-Determination" published by the Myanmar Institute for Peace and Security (MIPS).

He said on Monday that the EAOs would raise questions about conditions of the would-be single army, including on its structure, responsibilities and so on, before fully agreeing on the issue. The Tatmadaw has urged them to accept the basic principles without knowing the full extent of the conditions of the proposed single army.

The issue of forming a single army has fallen behind other discussions because issues surrounding the security sector have not been able to move beyond the initial stages. Along with it, a common understanding of non-secession and self-determination—labeled as part of the package deal—has not been reached and thus the discussions have been stalled for nearly two years.

Although the National League for Democracy (NLD) government does not strongly object to the package deal—which includes conditions of non-secession, forming a single army and self-determination—no common understanding of the single army issue has yet been reached between the Tatmadaw and EAOs.

Khun Okkar said the Tatmadaw's immovable position on these three issues has delayed the peace process, and that solutions should be widely discussed between the negotiators.

In the MIPS publication, solutions and suggestions for overcoming the deadlock on the package deal were documented. They felt the need to focus on those issues since no agreement was reached at the third session of the 21st Panglong Peace Conference [in July], according to Salai Ngun Gung Lian, a researcher at the MIPS.

The book included examples from a number of different democratic states and their constitutional clauses on the issues of secession, single armed forces and self-determination.

The publication also highlighted three important suggestions on the single army issue: for the stakeholders to agree to a single army which protects the Union's borders and to form an army and state armed police force which would take responsibility for law and order in the states and regions close to the borders. It suggested that the army and the state armed police force be under the command of the Tatmadaw's commander-in-chief, but for the state armed police force to be a separate institution to the current Myanmar police force.

The suggestion caused confusion for observers who see the border guard forces and militia already in operation at Myanmar's borders to be similar to his suggested groups.

The Tatmadaw's forcing of the EAOs to form border guard forces back in 2009 resulted in renewed fighting, particularly between the Tatmadaw and the Kachin Independence Army.

However, Salai Ngan Cung Lian told The Irrawaddy on Monday that the suggestions in the publication are not about border guard forces. He said more publications they expect to produce in the next six months will have further details on the analysis of the single army issue, as well as other suggestions.

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Parliament Approves $94M Loan From Korea For Govt Data Center

Posted: 18 Dec 2018 03:59 AM PST

YANGON — Myanmar's Union Parliament has approved a $93.8-million loan from the Export-Import Bank of Korea to help pay for the construction of a centralized e-government data center.

The Ministry of Transportation and Communication proposed the loan earlier this month. On Tuesday, lawmakers overwhelmingly approved it by a vote of 453 to nine.

The three-year project is slated to start in January under the direction of the Department of Information Technology and Cyber Security. At a total cost of $104.3 million, it calls for an e-Government Integrated Data Center in Naypyitaw and a backup center in Thanlyin Township near Yangon.

Myanmar will cover what the Korean loan does not from the national budget.

Once the project is completed, people will receive better and around-the-clock e-government services covering everything from online payments to visa applications, according to Transportation and Communication Minister U Thant Sin Maung.

Last week, four lawmakers debated the proposed project in Parliament and raised questions about cyber security.

On Tuesday, the minister discussed some of the security measures that would be taken at both centers. He added that a draft cyber law addressing social media, personal data, child protection and other issues would be ready for their consideration in 30 weeks.

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Armed Group, Locals Report Myanmar Air Force Attack in Rakhine

Posted: 18 Dec 2018 03:11 AM PST

SITTWE, Rakhine State — The Myanmar military’s air force attacked positions held by the Arakan Army in northern Rakhine State’s Kyauktaw Township on Tuesday, according to locals and the armed group.

U Maung Ni, a resident of the township’s Thalu Chaung village tract, said two military jet fighters started strafing a mountain range near his home with gunfire at about 8 a.m.

He said the attack has sent residents in at least six villages in the area fleeing their homes in fear.

Fighting between the military and the Arakan Army picked up in late November, with almost daily clashes in Rakhine State’s Kyauktaw, Ponnagyun, Rathedaung and Buthidaung townships.

On its Facebook page on Tuesday, the Arakan Army said the military started shelling its positions at about 10 a.m. and sent in two fighter gets for air support three hours later.

On Sunday, three soldiers were killed and more than 10 wounded in a rocket-propelled-grenade attack on a Myanmar military truck in Rathedaung. No one claimed responsibility for the attack, though the site was near territory contested by the Arakan Army.

After a meeting with the government’s Peace Commission on Wednesday, the Arakan Army, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and Ta’ang National Liberation Army offered to stop fighting with the military in return for the right to join the country’s formal peace talks.

Translated from Burmese by Nyein Nyein.

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A Special Christmas at Sedona

Posted: 18 Dec 2018 02:46 AM PST

YANGON—Sedona Hotel Yangon is one of a number of locations offering special festive dining and events for the upcoming Christmas and New Year festive period. Its renowned restaurants D'Cuisine, Du Fu and Orzo are offering a Merry Menu for families, friends and colleagues to get together and enjoy their tantalizing dishes for the month of December.

D'Cuisine will be serving its wide-ranging selection of well-known international dishes with a suitable festive theme. Highlights of the menu include grilled prawn, grilled mutton, crab soup and, of course, whole roasted turkey.

The buffet counters at D’Cuisine are decorated to bring Christmas cheer to all diners. / Aung Kyaw Htet / The Irrawaddy

Their popular buffet, priced at $33 per person on weekdays and $36 at weekends, features special Christmas dishes. A whole buffet counter is dedicated to Christmas-style dishes and diners have already been queueing for the roast turkey—including me.

The roasted turkey, served by the slice by a dedicated chef, should be paired with traditional accompaniments like roast potatoes and Brussels sprouts. The turkey meat is very tender and the taste is perfect, even without seasoning or sauces. With Christmas around the corner, it provides the perfect Christmas feeling.

D’Cuisine is decorated with plenty of festive cheer for the holiday. / Aung Kyaw Htet / The Irrawaddy

The other international dishes available at the buffet are as delicious as ever and have earned a well-deserved reputation year-round as one of Yangon's famous hotel buffets. All the ingredients are fresh and the food tastes great but there are more meat choices than vegetables, so vegetarians watch out!

The grilled mutton and beef servings are also favorites of mine. They are cooked to the customer's requested specification by the masterful grilling chefs, giving them a hot and freshly-cooked flavor.

The grill counter and chef. / Aung Kyaw Htet / The Irrawaddy

This buffet allows you to truly indulge as it comes with a free-flow of wine, beer, and soft drinks included in the price. The high quality of foods they serve means the price is totally worth it for spending the special Christmas moment with a loved one or family.

As they do every year, Sedona Hotel will celebrate the ringing in of the new year with a lavish New Year's Eve party which this year, titled Be Dazzled, is expected to be the biggest in town.

Diners enjoy selecting their lunch buffet at D’Cuisine. / Aung Kyaw Htet / The Irrawaddy

The party will showcase international entertainment with tango, jazz, Broadway and Hollywood performances as well as some of the most famous local performers headlined by Ni Ni Khin Zaw and the music band Oxygen, who will welcome in 2019 with the guests.

"Sedona Hotel Yangon will provide guests with great entertainment featuring international and local artists, and DJs to be held at the spacious and luxurious poolside area of the hotel," said Mr. Mok Kok Meng, general manager of Sedona Hotel Yangon.

A diner choosing from different international options and the special Christmas menu at D’Cuisine. / Aung Kyaw Htet / The Irrawaddy

The special dinner buffet set for the Be-Dazzled party will include French oysters, lobsters, Alaska crab legs, abalone, suckling pig and roasted whole lamb leg.

As well as the special food options, the party will have a lucky draw and other exciting surprises. The hotel's website has more information on tickets and other details.

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China Hopes For ‘Orderly’ Brexit, Calls For More Open EU Economy

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 08:34 PM PST

BEIJING — China hopes Britain’s exit from the European Union can happen in an orderly way and that the bloc will reduce hurdles to Chinese investment and keep its markets open, China’s Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

China, the world’s second-largest economy, has watched Brexit nervously, worried not only about potential market turmoil from a disorderly departure but about losing Britain’s supportive voice for free trade within the EU.

“China hopes to see Brexit proceed in an orderly fashion and stands ready to advance China-EU and China-UK relations in parallel,” the ministry said in a lengthy policy document on EU ties.

The EU and China are often at loggerheads over trade and other issues, with the EU sharing many of the same concerns as the United States about market access, trade imbalances and intellectual property rights protection.

The bloc is China’s largest trading partner while China is its biggest trading partner after the United States.

The EU has been pressing for better access to the Chinese market for its companies, while China has complained about what it sees as unfair restrictions on Chinese investments in the EU.

Despite events such as Brexit, China said the EU has remained committed to integration, pressed on with reforms and played a major role in regional and international affairs.

Beijing has promised to look at the possibility of reaching a “top notch” free trade deal with Britain post-Brexit.
The Brexit process is currently deadlocked with just over 100 days until Britain is due to leave the EU.
On trade, China’s white paper said the EU should ease high-tech export controls on China and facilitate mutual investment.

The government will significantly ease market access and endeavor to foster a “stable, fair, transparent, law-based and predictable business environment that protects the legitimate rights and interests of foreign investment and treats Chinese and foreign firms registered in China as equals,” it said.

“China hopes that the EU will keep its investment market open, reduce and eliminate investment hurdles and discriminatory barriers, and provide Chinese companies investing in Europe a fair, transparent and predictable policy environment and protect their legitimate rights and interests.”

The EU last month provisionally agreed on rules for a far-reaching system to coordinate scrutiny of foreign investments into Europe, notably from China in the wake of a surge in Chinese investments, to end what a negotiator called “European naivety.”

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Ten Things to do in Yangon This Week

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 08:19 PM PST

Album Noize Game 2

Noize Gamer performs at a promotional event for their second album.

Dec. 18, 5 p.m. Junction City Level 2, Event Area. Free entry.

Ayatori

A game that involves making figures out of string.

Dec. 19, 2 p.m to 3 p.m. Japan Culture House, Room 322B, 2nd Floor, Bldg. C, Pearl Condo, Kaba Aye Pagoda Road. Free entry. Register at 09-459 148 405.

Open Mic Night

The last open mic night of 2018.

Dec. 20, 8 p.m. till late. YangonYangon Rooftop Bar. 01-255 131

Dumpu Dinki: Strangers are friends you haven't met yet

A play about the whole cosmos of human relationships, in which trust and confidence eventually prevail.

Dec. 21, 6.30 p.m. Goethe Institut Myanmar, corner of Kabar Aye Pagoda Road and Nat Mauk Street, Bahan Tsp. 01-937 6160.

Mom and Kalay Fair

Kid's fashion show, magic show, joker show and contests for children.

Dec. 21-23, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Junction City (Level 2, Promotion Area). Register at 09-760 89 89 22

Myanmar Music Wave

The biggest music festival in Myanmar

Dec. 21-22, 4.30 p.m. till late. Tickets 5,000 kyats to 72,000 kyats at 09-451 010 789

Anyar Pwe Zay

Visitors can choose from several traditional Myanmar meals.

Dec. 22, 6 p.m. Tickets at UKK, No. (314/A), U Wisara Road, Kamayut Tsp.

Serpentine

Artist Soe Yu Nwe showcases her works.

Dec. 15-29. Myanm/art, No. 98, Third Floor, Bogalay Zay Street.

Avijja

"Ignorance" is the subject of artist Ye Min's third solo exhibition.

Dec. 15-21. Nawaday Tharlar Gallery, No.304, 20/B, Yawmingyi Road, Dagon Tsp.

Ultramarine Blue

The second solo exhibition by Zarni.

Dec. 22-24. Gallery 65, No.65, Yaw Min Gyi Road, Dagon Tsp.

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Japan to Buy More Stealth Jets, Radar to Counter China, Russia

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 08:14 PM PST

TOKYO—Japan will accelerate spending on advanced stealth fighters, long-range missiles and other equipment over the next five years to support US forces facing China’s military in the Western Pacific, two new government defense papers said.

The plans are the clearest indication yet of Japan’s ambition to become a regional power as a military build-up by China and a resurgent Russia puts pressure on its US ally.

“The United States remains the world’s most powerful nation, but national rivalries are surfacing and we recognize the importance of the strategic competition with both China and Russia as they challenge the regional order,” said a 10-year defense program outline approved by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government on Tuesday.

The United States, followed by China, North Korea and Russia, are the countries that most influenced Japan’s latest military thinking, the paper said.

China, the world’s second biggest economy, is deploying more ships and aircraft to patrol waters near Japan, while North Korea has yet to fulfil a pledge to dismantle its nuclear and missile programs.

Russia, which continues to probe Japanese air defenses, said on Monday it had built new barracks for troops on a northern island it captured from Japan at the end of World War Two.

More stealth fighters

Japan plans to buy 45 Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 stealth fighters, worth about $4 billion, in addition to the 42 jets already on order, according to a separate five-year procurement plan approved on Tuesday.

The new planes will include 18 short take off and vertical landing (STOVL) B variants of the F-35 that planners want to deploy on Japanese islands along the edge of the East China Sea.

The islands are part of a chain stretching past Taiwan and down to the Philippines that has marked the limit of Chinese military dominance east of the disputed South China Sea.

The navy’s two large helicopter carriers, the Izumo and Kaga, will be modified to accommodate F-35B operations, the paper said.

The 248-meter (814-feet) long Izumo-class ships are as big as any of Japan’s aircraft carriers in World War Two.

The ships will need reinforced decks to withstand the heat blast from F-35 engines and could be fitted with ramps to aid short take-offs, two defense ministry officials told Reuters.

Trade war threat

The new F-35 order may also help Japan avert a trade war with the United States.

US President Donald Trump, who has threatened to impose tariffs on Japanese car imports, thanked Abe for buying the F-35s when the two met at a summit in Argentina this month.

Other US-made equipment on Japan’s shopping list includes two land-based Aegis Ashore air defense radars to defend against North Korean missiles, four Boeing Co KC-46 Pegasus refueling planes to extend the range of Japanese aircraft, and nine Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye early-warning planes.

Japan plans to spend 25.5 trillion yen ($224.7 billion) on military equipment over the next five years, 6.4 percent higher than the previous five-year plan. Cost-cutting will free up another 2 trillion yen for purchases, the procurement paper said.

Japan only spends about 1 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on defense, but the size of its economy means it already has one of the world’s largest militaries.

“The budget is increasing and there has been an acceleration to deploy capability as soon as possible,” Robert Morrissey, head of Raytheon Co.’s unit in Japan, said this month.

Wary of North Korean promises to abandon ballistic missile development, Japan’s military is buying longer-range Raytheon SM-3 interceptor missiles to strike enemy warheads in space.

The defense papers assessed non-traditional military threats as well. A new joint-forces cyber unit will bolster Japan’s defenses against cyber attacks. More electronic warfare capabilities are planned.

Japan’s air force will also get its first space unit to help keep tabs on potential adversaries high above the Earth’s atmosphere.

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U.N. Security Council Mulls Myanmar Action; Russia, China Boycott Talks

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 08:05 PM PST

UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. Security Council is considering action to push Myanmar to work with the United Nations to address the Rohingya refugee crisis, although China and Russia have so far boycotted talks on a British-drafted resolution, diplomats said on Monday.

The draft resolution aims to put a timeline on Myanmar allowing the return of more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees from neighboring Bangladesh and addressing accountability, said diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The Rohingya have fled Myanmar’s Rakhine State since August last year, when attacks on security posts by Rohingya insurgents triggered a military crackdown that the United Nations, the United States, Britain and others described as ethnic cleansing.

Myanmar denies the accusations of ethnic cleansing.

The draft resolution would warn that the 15-member Security Council could consider further steps, including sanctions, if there was not enough progress made by Myanmar, diplomats said. It would also ask U.N. officials to report back regularly to the council.

It was unclear if or when the draft resolution could be put to a vote. A resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes by Russia, China, the United States, Britain or France to pass.

“I think it’s inappropriate, untimely and useless,” Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told Reuters on Monday.

China’s U.N. ambassador, Ma Zhaoxu, declined to comment. Myanmar’s U.N. ambassador, Hau Do Suan, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The draft was circulated to council members late last month and diplomats said that there had been several rounds of discussions. Russia and China attended an initial meeting but have not taken part in any further talks, diplomats said.

The text would push Myanmar to implement a memorandum of understanding with the U.N. development and refugee agencies that Nobel laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s government signed in June, as well recommendations made by the Rakhine Advisory Commission that was led by former U.N. chief Kofi Annan.

The draft resolution does not include a referral of the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court, diplomats said.

U.N. Security Council envoys traveled to Bangladesh and Myanmar in late April.

In October, China, backed by Russia, failed to stop a Security Council briefing by the chair of a U.N. inquiry that accused Myanmar’s military of genocide against Rohingya Muslims. Myanmar has rejected the findings of the U.N. report.

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Monday, December 17, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Armed Group Soldier Involved in Shan State Shooting Dies From Knife Wounds

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 05:42 AM PST

Mon State — The Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) says one of its soldiers involved in a shooting on Tuesday in southern Shan State that left at least four ethnic Pa-O people dead has died from his wounds.

Colonel Sai Oo, a spokesman for the RCSS, said the soldier had been stabbed in the head and died on Thursday.

"He had two wounds on his head. He was very seriously wounded with a knife. He died because we could not treat him anymore," he told The Irrawaddy on Monday.

He said a second wounded soldier was still being treated.

The RCSS says the two soldiers were attacked by a group of Pa-O they had stopped in Loilem Township because they were members of another armed group in the area and suspected that one of them was a spy for the Myanmar military. It says the soldiers fired in self-defense, killing four people.

The Pa-O National Liberation Organization (PNLO) claims that the Pa-O were civilians searching for a new water source for their village when the RCSS soldiers detained them. It says other Pa-O from the village — Seng Ngum, also known as Namp Hu — came to demand their release and that the RCSS soldiers fatally shot five of them and wounded three others.

In a statement on Wednesday, the PNLO condemned the RCSS and accused it of “arbitrarily arresting, killing and injuring people.” Another group, the Union Pa-O National Organization, condemned the RCSS in a statement of its own on Friday and warned that the shootings could stoke communal tensions.

They appear to have done so already. Locals said tensions between the area’s Pa-O and Shan communities have been high since the shootings. Angry comments have been flying back and forth on Facebook.

Thousands of locals attended the funerals of the fatally shot Pa-O in Loilem on Thursday.

Col. Sai Oo said the RCSS was open to a request from Pa-O leaders to jointly investigate Tuesday’s violence but added that they had yet to make arrangements to do so.

The RCSS wants autonomy for Shan State. But unless they make peace with the state’s other ethnic groups, they will fail, said Khun Kyaw Win, a Pa-O community leader.

"Whenever there is a problem in the area or the situation is unstable, local people always have to suffer for it," he said.

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Can Myanmar Profit From the Trade and Currency Wars?

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 02:04 AM PST

Fiscal and monetary management in Myanmar are suffering amid global trade and investment uncertainty. The global trade and macroeconomic scene does not favor the transformation of Myanmar's economic institutions. The state counselor's team has been trying to treat the country’s monetary and fiscal problems with the assistance of development partners such as the World Bank, IMF and ADB due to the dearth of home-grown technocrats and economists.

Myanmar's real GDP growth dropped slightly from 7 percent in 2015-16 to 5.9 percent in 2016-17 and then increased to 6.8 percent in 2017-18. The trade and currency wars between the U.S. and China have meanwhile created both winners and losers. The IMF, Bangladesh and Vietnam are winners. The WTO, powerless to settle the dispute, is a big loser.

A modern economy runs on taxes, yet Myanmar has one of the lowest tax collection rates in not only ASEAN but the world. The government budget fell from 10.1 percent of GDP in 2016-17 to 9.4 percent in 2018-19 (though the allocation for health and education rose slightly to 6 percent of GDP in 2017-18). Yet tax collection ranged from only 3 to 7 percent of GDP between 2012 and 2018. The country’s many armed groups and religious organizations have meanwhile been collecting their own taxes, levies and donations. Myanmar’s economy is based more on donations than taxes, savings and investment because there is no clear tax policy for a lack of talented tax economists.

Countless schools, streets, clinics, hospitals and streetlights in Myanmar are built with public donations and run on the power plants of armed groups, rather than by or with the state. An obvious reason for the state’s falling revenue is that few people trust the government’s tax policies. In Myanmar, trust is the scarcest commodity. The government needs to re-establish trust by improving its performance and tax system, in particular the horizontal or vertical tax systems, by hiring international experts over the next few years.

A bright spot of Myanmar’s public financial management is the fiscal discipline the government imposed in 2016-18. As a result, Myanmar's fiscal deficit fell even though revenue declined slightly to 1.1 percent of GDP in 2017-18. According to World Bank data, the current account deficit has improved as the trade deficit declined from 5.5 percent of GDP ($ 3.5 billion) in 2016-17 to 2.6 percent of GDP ($ 1.7 billion) in 2017-18 due to rising garment exports. But the government will also need to address an inefficient bureaucracy, unprofitable state economic enterprises and electricity prices in the coming years.

Regarding monetary matters, the policies and actions of the Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM) improved in 2017-18, after U Soe Thein and U Bo Bo Nge were appointed deputy governors. It came out with the “Burmese Way to the Basel Principles” in July 2017. The CBM also stopped the practice of printing money to cover budget deficits in 2016-17 for the first time in the country’s modern history.

Now, amid the currency war between the U.S. and China, the Myanmar kyat has suffered, depreciating heavily against the U.S. dollar. The kyat fluctuated sharply from August to September — between 1,300 and 1,800 per dollar — before stabilizing in October at 1,550. The CBM has since gotten heavily involved in managing monetary policy, in particular in the foreign exchange market. The inflation rate rose from 5.9 percent to 8.2 percent in 2017-18 due to mounting fuel and commodity prices and a cooling real estate market.

The government was wrong to impose policies restricting trade for fear that re-exports to China would depreciate the kyat further. In the midst of a trade dispute between great powers, Myanmar, as a tiny economy, must adopt a smart trade strategy that includes bilateral currency swaps with regional countries. Myanmar requires an “economic foreign policy” to deal with the G20 economies and balance its trade with the main players of the international economic order.

Currently, foreign direct investment from the U.S. and EU is shrinking. The EU is threatening to reimpose economic sanction and to revoke trade benefits under its Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), while Myanmar has adopted a "Look East” policy and committed to the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative. While allowing China access to the Bay of Bangle and Indian Ocean, Myanmar’s leaders would be wise to also pay attention to the country’s own energy security needs and its relationships in the Middle East and North Africa, home to more than 60 percent of the world’s petroleum reserves.

The European and U.S. markets, meanwhile, are meccas of consumerism and have great demand for international currencies and technology. Myanmar’s business community has to raise its ethical and regulatory standards, professionalism and trustworthiness to gain better access to their markets.

With respect to Myanmar's labor market, a lack of investment in human capital over the past several decades has left the country’s workforce at a disadvantage compared with its neighbors. In the lead-up to the 2020 general elections, the government should focus on coming up with a better labor policy and creating jobs and business opportunities. There are now about 14 million young people in the country’s labor force; many of them will migrate to other countries for work if the government cannot come up with a better labor policy than the one it has.

In sum, to attract foreign capital, investment and technology, Myanmar must address the risks associated with the country’s politics, economy and reputation, including rampant corruption. Now is the right time for Myanmar’s leaders not to isolate themselves in Naypyitaw but to engage and build trust with the G20.

Naing Ko Ko is a PhD candidate at the School of Regulation and Global Governance at Australian National University.

The post Can Myanmar Profit From the Trade and Currency Wars? appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Fighting Between Armed Groups Picked Up in November: Report

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 01:32 AM PST

YANGON — Clashes between ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) last month outnumbered those between them and the Myanmar military, or Tatmadaw, according to a new report.

The Myanmar Institute for Peace and Security (MIPS) says there were 44 clashes in November — 21 between EAOs and the military, and 23 between EAOs themselves. Among the latter, 10 involved the use of improvised explosive devices.

"We found that conflict escalated between EAOs and not with the Tatmadaw," MIPS Executive Director U Min Zaw Oo told The Irrawaddy.

The clashes occurred in 20 townships in states predominantly populated by ethnic minorities. Shan State's Namtu Township saw seven clashes. Kyaukme, Hsipaw and Kutkhaing townships, also in Shan, and Paletwa Township in Chin State saw four clashes each, while the rest saw one each.

The MIPS attributed much of the escalation to fighting between the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army-South (RCSS/SSA-S), the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army-North (SSPP/SSA-N). It said their fighting had also expanded the area of conflict.

"Sometimes clashes happen as a result of encounters. Sometimes one side launches an attack on the other side. Sometime the two sides fight because of problems related to natural resources. We can't know the cause of every fight," U Min Zaw Oo said.

While the RCSS/SSA-S is a signatory to Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) with the government and military, the others are not.

"Clashes happened because the [SSA-N] thinks the [SSA-S] is expanding into its territory in the north [of Shan State]. No one can control that. To solve this, there is a need to make sure everyone participates in the NCA and that everyone stops military operations. And there is a need to review the NCA to solve the existing problems. And there is also a need to establish clear territories," political analyst U Than Soe Naing told The Irrawaddy.

The MIPS attributed the clashes between the military and Arakan Army (AA) in southern Chin and northern Rakhine states to the AA’s attempts to expand its territory.

"The ultimate ambition of the AA is to establish a stronghold in Rakhine State. The AA attempted to gain a stronghold, and when the Tatmadaw attacked it, it fled, sometimes into Bangladesh. Then the fighting stopped for a while, until the AA came out again," said U Min Zaw Oo.

"But overall, clashes between the Myanmar Army and the EAOs across the country have declined," he added.

The AA, TNLA and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) met with the government's Peace Commission last week and offered to halt military operations in order to enter formal peace negotiations.

During the first 11 months of 2018, March saw the most armed clashes, according to the MIPS  — 89 between the military and EAOs and three between EAOs themselves.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Three Soldiers Killed in RPG Attack in Northern Rakhine State

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 12:41 AM PST

YANGON—Three army soldiers were killed and more than 10 wounded in a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack by an unknown armed group in strife-torn northern Rakhine's Rathedaung Township on Sunday morning.

A police officer from Buthidaung Township confirmed  to The Irrawaddy that a military logistics truck was struck by an unknown armed group near Htee Swea and Kyauk Tan villages. According to the officer, the injured soldiers were receiving medical treatment at a 100-bed hospital in the town.

Police denied a rumor circulating on Facebook on Monday morning that some women and children were also riding in the Army truck as passengers on the way to a market. The police officer clarified that this information was wrong and that the only people on the truck were soldiers carrying supplies to the front when they were ambushed.

The officer said the incident took place about 5 miles from downtown Rathedaung. Kyauk Tan village is situated in the foothills of the Awrama mountain range. The area is actively contested between the Myanmar military (or Tatmadaw) and the Arakan Army (AA).

The Irrawaddy phoned spokesmen from both the Tatmadaw and the AA on Monday in an effort to obtain more details about Sunday's RPG attack, including a confirmed death toll, but both sides declined to comment. The Office of the Commander in Chief had not released any statement regarding the reported death of the three soldiers or details of the casualties as of Monday morning.

The AA posted an update regarding armed clashes via their information page on Facebook on Sunday. It said fighting broke out in Rathedaung Township's Thaung Da Rar and Htee Swea villages, as well as Ponnagyun Township's Kha Maung and Maung Hna Ma and Kyun Thar Yar villages, respectively.

It did not elaborate on the causalities or which battalion of the Tatmadaw was involved. The AA said it was bracing for further clashes once the Tatmadaw reinforced its frontline positions with more troops.

U Aung Thaung Shwe, an Arakanese lawmaker in the Union Parliament from Buthidaung constituency, said poorly informed villagers were frightened of surprise inspections and questioning by the military. Last week, a military column surrounded a village and checked every single home, one by one.

"I have requested authorized organizations not to cause overwhelming fear among villagers when they enter villages for questioning," U Aung Than Shwe said.

He said some villagers from his constituency told him that artillery shells had exploded near their homes last week, causing them to flee to a nearby village. Although his township has no proper displaced persons camp, some residents had already left their villages for safer locations along the Sai Din River.

According to the lawmaker, as skirmishes had erupted in Ponnagyun, Buthidaung, Rathedaung and Chin State's Paletwa Township, the IDP population could be higher than the reported number, as many members of Arakanese sub-ethnic groups live in remote areas. Some 300 IDPs have been sheltering in Ponnagyun Township, while some local relief workers were providing humanitarian assistance to them.

"The fighting will surely intensify as the AA has gained a strong foothold in these areas," U Aung Thaung Shwe said.

According to an AA press release, the ethnic armed group has clashed with the military on more than 20 occasions in recent weeks. Last week, the military officially announced that some high-ranking soldiers were killed by the AA, and that it had the bodies of four deceased AA members.

The post Three Soldiers Killed in RPG Attack in Northern Rakhine State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Myanmar Film Industry Misrepresents Women, LGBT Community

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 11:59 PM PST

YANGON–Stereotyping, gender roles and gender discrimination in films have been increasing in the Myanmar film industry, which plays an influential role in people's thoughts and behavior, according to those behind research into gender awareness in Myanmar's film industry.

"We have seen derogatory representations of the role of women, minority ethnic [groups] and LGBT in Myanmar films. The characters in the films are making fun of these groups. Even though it may be unintentional, it is happening at every second. It is offensive and it is a shame," said Daw Myat Thet Thitsar, director of the Enlightened Myanmar Research Foundation (EMReF).

Recognized as one of the most powerful communication tools, with the ability to convey messages and images of social reality to audiences, Myanmar films are also being used as a propaganda tool to portray political history, transition and ideological conflicts.

Since the year 2000, one-third of the films created have been comedies and most of them contain sex jokes and insinuation of sexual harassment, said the researchers.

It will soon be one hundred years since the inception of Myanmar's film production industry, but sadly the presentation and the characters have become "distorted" since the year 2000, said Daw Grace Swe Zin Htike, a member of the Myanmar film censorship board, who encourages research in the development of Myanmar films.

She added that advancements in the industry are sometimes off-track as the creative art of film-making becomes more like a factory-produced entity to serve commercial purposes. She hopes that the development of film schools and collaborations between the mainstream and independent filmmakers will help the industry to regain quality in films.

"The perceptions [of the creators] have been wrong but it should not be turned to poison," Daw Grace Swe Zin Htike added, raising concerns that the characters in the films are very influential on the audience who tend to take cues from films for how they live with reality in their own lives.

She added that how the current Myanmar films represent male, female and LGBT characters, often involves discriminatory messages and portrays a biased identity. For example, LGBT characters are often portrayed as idiotic, rude and lustful.

"The quality of the films has decreased since the creative industry has being commercialized, but there are people who disagree with me who point out that the number of the films [produced] is increasing," said Daw Grace Swe Zin Htike.

The researchers based their analysis on 83 Myanmar films of different genres produced in 2016 and 2017, looking out for cases of gender discrimination, stereotyping, gender-based violence and gender awareness. The research also involved discussions with mainstream and documentary film directors, scriptwriters, actors, actresses and members of the censorship board.

Of the total number, 36 films included cases of gender discrimination which devalue the abilities of female and LGBT characters, said Daw Aye Lae Tun, a leading researcher from EMReF.

The findings also reveal more challenges facing the film industry, which has an actor-oriented market. In order to stick to the low budgets, plots with have many holes and there is a declining number of cinemas where the films may be screened.

One male director quoted in the research said, "The creation of well-organized stories has been in decline. The script is sometimes written on the scene, as it has not been well prepared beforehand. If the actor requests for the script to be revised, the writer has to rewrite it. If needed, LGBT characters have to be used to support the role of the actor or to [add fun to] the plot."

"Human rights were not heard of for a long time," said Daw Aye Lae Tun as explanation for creators such as directors and scriptwriters treating ethical issues with ignorance. "A human rights-based approach should be applied as a mainstream approach to every issue—this is not only related to the military's oppression," she said.

Scriptwriters may unintentionally compose the dialogue in a biased way, but these research findings which are available for everyone to read, should draw attention to the issues, said Daw Swe Zin Htike. "We just need to correct them as soon as we realize the wrongdoings."

The report findings may face opposition in the patriarchal society with some expressing their desire for Myanmar films to portray female characters as traditional women who are modest and take only the role of the house wife—the "perfect women"—in order to maintain a Myanmar-specific cultural perspective. The researchers, however, urged for only positive traditional views of women to be portrayed. The reality that modern Myanmar women often are opinionated, educated and have successful careers or businesses and healthy social lives should not be avoided.

"The research is comprehensive and the researchers did a detailed study on the films that are using proverbs to construct gender perspectives," said Dr. Khin Mar Mar Kyi, an award-winning social anthropologist and the first Senior Burmese female academic at the University of Oxford, who joined the research-study launch.

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Hunt for Crashed Lion Air Jet’s Black Box Delayed by Bad Weather

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 08:08 PM PST

JAKARTA — A renewed search for the cockpit voice recorder of a Lion Air jet that crashed into the Java Sea on Oct. 29 has been delayed for two days due to bad weather hampering the arrival of a specialized ship, the airline said.

The crash, the world’s first of a Boeing Co 737 MAX jet, killed all 189 people on board and the main wreckage and second “black box” were not recovered in an initial search.

Lion Air said in a statement that it was funding a 38 billion rupiah ($2.6 million) search effort using the offshore supply ship MPV Everest, which had been expected to arrive in the search area on Monday.

Bad weather and heavy rain at the port of Johor Bahru in Malaysia interfered with the equipment and crew mobilization process, delaying the ship’s arrival at the crash site until Wednesday, the airline said late on Sunday.

Lion Air’s decision to foot the bill for the search is a rare test of global norms regarding search independence, as such costs are typically paid by governments.

By law, the search for the cockpit voice recorder is the “duty and responsibility” of Indonesia’s transport safety committee (KNKT), Lion Air said. The Transport Ministry, which is responsible for KNKT’s budget, was not immediately able to comment on the matter.

Indonesian investigators said last week that bureaucratic wrangling and funding problems had hampered the search for the recorder and they had turned to Lion Air for help.

Safety experts say it is unusual for one of the parties to help fund an investigation, required by U.N. rules to be independent to ensure trust in any safety recommendations.

There are also broader concerns about resources available for such investigations worldwide, coupled with the risk of agencies being ensnared in legal disputes.

The clock is ticking in the hunt for acoustic pings coming from the L3 Technologies Inc cockpit voice recorder fitted to the jet. It has a 90-day beacon, the manufacturer’s online brochure shows.

The flight data recorder was retrieved three days after the crash, providing insight into aircraft systems and crew inputs, although the cause has yet to be determined.

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Saturday, December 15, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Youth Activists Speak Up on Lost Idols and Freedom of Expression

Posted: 15 Dec 2018 12:28 AM PST

Ye Ni: Welcome to Dateline Irrawaddy! This week, we'll discuss the responsibility and position of the youth in the democratic transition, and the communication between them and older generations. Ma Thinzar Shunlei Yi, a youth advocate from Action Committee for Democracy Development, and poet Maung Saung Kha from Freedom of Expression Activist Organization join me to discuss this. I am Ye Ni, editor of The Irrawaddy Burmese.

We will base our discussion on a Reuters article published by The Irrawaddy. I have read in the article you said that as a youth, you admired and had high hopes for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, but now you have lost your idol. Can you explain this? Why did you admire her and why do you now feel like you have lost her?

Thinzar Shunlei Yi: It is fair to say I am a completely new face in politics. My family and all my relatives are not interested in politics at all. I used to have a negative view of politicians and activists. Then I reached a certain age and got many friends. They taught me about the situation on the ground, the living conditions and difficulties of ethnic people and ongoing armed conflicts. I've learned a lot from them. My standpoint has changed based on what I learned from them and from my experiences during trips inside and outside the country. I became more interested in the life of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who faced years of house arrest for democracy. I studied a lot about her character and what she said as she is admired by a lot of young people. I found that her standpoints were similar to what I believe in and what I want. I started to admire her. As she is also a woman, I made her my idol. My current life as a democracy activist is largely based on what Daw Aung San Suu Kyi experienced, said and taught us during her democratic struggle. It is fair to say that today I can speak here due to her standpoints and sharing of knowledge with us. I am clear about the path I am taking because it is based on my faith. I inherited that faith from our seniors, prisoners of conscience and activists starting from Daw Aung San Suu Kyi who sacrificed herself in 1988 pro-democracy uprising. I inherited them from my faith in democracy and human rights and I adopted those norms as my yardstick. Today, I still use the same yardstick. After the new government took office, we have seen clearly that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her cabinet have changed and it goes against my norms. I am confused—I feel as if my yardstick is wrong or if what I've learned is wrong or that I need to bend my yardstick. Ultimately, I decided to cling to my norms. I believe in those values, and that my leaders, my idols and those who have sacrificed their lives would want to a youth who cherishes those values. That's why I feel like I have lost my idol, and I've shared these feelings with the public.

YN: The view of the older generations of the ruling National League for Democracy is that the younger generation is impatient while there is a need to communicate with all the sides including the military, ethnic groups and the international community during the democratic transition. Ko Saung Kha, do you agree with the view of the older generations?

Saung Kha: It is not that we are impatient; we have mainly pointed out the things that the government can do easily. It is not that we are pressing unreasonable demands without understanding politics. We know well the extent the government can perform within the authority granted by the constitution. I would like to give the example of the notorious Telecommunications Law. People think that it was amended on August 29, 2017. In fact, it was not changed at all. Reducing the penalty is not amending the law. The law will continue to have negative impacts unless its original definition is changed. There have been 62 cases of people being charged under the Telecommunications Law, even after it was amended. There have been that many cases within one year. It is found that in over half of those cases, the charges were pressed by the government and lawmakers. Therefore, it's questionable whether they have chosen not to amend the law in order to use it as a deterrent to criticism. This law is targeted at those who criticize the government and the military online. Similarly, there is peaceful assembly and procession law that can restrict protest marches and assemblies. That law should in fact be formulated by the government in order to protect demonstrators and ensure the people's right to protest. But if it provides allowances to restrict protests at any time, it is not a democratic law at all. Currently, 17 youths including Ma Thinzar Shunlei Yi and I are facing trial at Bahan Township Court for demonstrations that called for the rescue of civilians trapped by fighting in Kachin State. From this, we can say that freedom of expression is seriously at risk. Overall, it is clear that the government failed to do certain things despite having the authority to do so. It is not that we are impatient, we have just continued to make demands in response to the government's ignorance.

YN: Ma Thinzar, what do you think of the youth policy of the NLD government, and what would you want to say about ethnic youth affairs?

TSY: In my experience, many youth organizations made preparations when the new government took office. We have been demanding a youth policy since the previous government and there were confrontations over our demands. We staged protests and the previous government arrested students. We warned the previous government that we would not communicate with it. We had high hopes when the new government took office. We hoped it would appreciate our efforts. In early 2016, when he held talks with the new union minister for social welfare, relief and resettlement of the new government, unbelievably he showed respect for us. He said he has to learn from youths. He showed us respect for our experiences and we also showed our respect to him. It is sufficed to say that we could draft the youth policy in a democratic way. We could convince the ministry to hold consultations with the youth and include their voices in the policy. The youth policy was officially adopted in 2018. There is a problem in designing any new policy or law regarding federalism. Though we have been widely talking about building a federal union, the constitution has yet to be changed. We have a lot of difficulties in considering under which framework we should adopt laws and policies. Though the youths made preparations in consideration of federalism, the policy–when it was approved–was not federal. It also can't be federal due to the existing structure of the country so we had real difficulties. The youth policy, as aspired by the ethnic youths, is different from the policy that the government can approve.

YN: There were always demonstrations in support of democracy and human rights under U Thein Sein's government, but under the new government, only a few people like you continue demonstrations. I have seen on social media that you are criticized for criticizing The Lady, and you are labeled dollar-earners [who benefit from western agencies] and stooges. How do you deal with those criticisms?

SK: Stooges, supporters of western countries, dollar-earners and puppets of the western countries—all are the very words once used by the military regime and those who resist the change against Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Why do we continue with our democracy demonstrations? Firstly, we don't do it out of personal interest, we do it because of our belief in principles, rights, human rights and democratic values. If we don't honor those values, we will lose all of them. The mainstream [view] of Myanmar politics is that everything depends on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and she is also criticized for anything that goes wrong. We don't want to participate in that mainstream. Why do we continue our demonstrations? Some people, even including my own friends, said that they accept freedom of expression, but they don't like criticizing Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. This concept of people in Myanmar is wrong. When we talk about freedom of expression, we should have greater freedom of expression and criticism, especially regarding the state leaders. Sometimes, if people have real grievances, they will use strong language. This is the right enshrined by freedom of expression. But there are limits. There is a fine line between freedom of expression and hate speech. We can't allow people to use hate speech under the cover of freedom of expression. It is quite complicated. I think the path to democracy will be smoother if these can be handled effectively.

YN: Thank you for your contribution!

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Friday, December 14, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Traveling Exhibition on ‘Upcycling’ Reaches Yangon

Posted: 14 Dec 2018 06:01 AM PST

YANGON—A traveling exhibition promoting the virtues of "upcycling" is making a two-week stop in Yangon.

As opposed to recycling, which takes paper, plastic, glass and other material and breaks them down into components from which to make new—often low-quality or similarly disposable—consumer products, upcycling takes discarded items and attempts to fashion them into something enduringly useful or beautiful.

Aiming to raise ecological awareness, the local version of the exhibition, "Pure Gold Myanmar", showcases a collection of upcycled objects created by international and Myanmar designers.

The exhibition opens Saturday at the iconic Secretariat Yangon.

"The major purpose is…to raise this ecological awareness. At the same time, I want to give a platform to local artists and for the local NGOs who are dealing with this topic—upcycling, [or] transforming waste into something valuable and beautiful," said Franz Xaver Augustin, the organizer of the exhibition and director of Goethe Institut Myanmar.

The exhibit features 76 upcycled objects by 53 designers from all over the world, alongside works by Myanmar artists, artisans and designers.

"Upcycling finds a natural home in Myanmar, where many people are already transforming trash into useful, beautiful objects. We've seen a children's playground built entirely out of old tires, deco-lamps from beer bottles, shopping baskets from candy wrappers, and many more remarkable creations that show the ingenuity of the local people," said lead curator Volker Albus at a press event on Friday.

What sets this exhibit apart is that the designers' objects are all made from items that would ordinarily be thrown away.

"Upcycling is different from recycling. Upcycling means transforming waste. Things we can recycle—objects of glass, plastic, paper, etc.—[are transformed] into [something] more precious, which is beautiful and functional at the same time," Augustin said.

Brought to Myanmar from Germany by the Goethe Institut, the exhibition is a major undertaking featuring 76 pieces, which were transported on a container ship. Yangon is the fourth city to host the exhibition following Hamburg, London and Bangkok.

One of the upcycled objects on display at the iconic Secretariat Yangon / Htein Lin

"I have the impression that people are quite aware of the problem of garbage, too much garbage. Consumerism has reached [Myanmar] in the past five, six years," Augustin said.

"Supermarkets are full of things and goods, usually packed in plastic or in glass," he said, adding that the event's organizers aim to "create awareness about the problem of garbage … that will be thrown away. That is one intention of this exhibition."

From decorative sculptures made out of discarded industrial materials to a shelf made of old water heaters, "Pure Gold" showcases the diverse culture and creativity of designers using everyday waste products.

"The objects exhibited at this exhibition are on the way between art and design. Some things are pure art, some things are pure design, and useable objects which could be used anywhere," Augustin said.

Well-known Myanmar artists Ko Htein Lin and Arker Kyaw will join the exhibition, supported by local colleagues Yadanar Win, Aung Myat Htay, Zun Ei, Ma Ei, Ko Latt, Ko Ye, Nge Nge, Kaung Myat Thu, Thiri Wai Maung, Pau San, Sen Sen, Suan Huai, Aye Lwin, Nang Hseng Noon and Sai Puen Kur.

"When I first saw the exhibits, all I can say is, it's so awesome. Every piece is useful and beautiful," said Arker Kyaw.

Arker Kyaw created one of the highlights of "Pure Gold Myanmar," a giant "nagar" installation made of bamboo sticks, reused rice sacks and plastic sheeting.

"In our Myanmar folklore, the nagar is a snake- or dragon-like being with super powers. With this public art, we want to capture the imagination of the people and inspire them to upcycle rubbish," he said.

Upcycling workshops will be held on Dec. 16-19 under the guidance of Prof. Axel Kufus from the Berlin University of the Arts, with support from the artisans and designers of Chu Chu and Hla Day.

The exhibition will held daily from Dec. 15 to Jan. 6, from 10:30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. daily. The exhibition is open to the public, free-of-charge.

The post Traveling Exhibition on 'Upcycling' Reaches Yangon appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Army Captain Accused of Killing Man over Missing ID Card Goes on Trial

Posted: 14 Dec 2018 03:53 AM PST

The wife of a man allegedly killed by a Myanmar Army officer seven months ago came face to face with the suspect for the first time in a court in Moulmein, the capital of Mon State, on Dec. 10.

Tin Soe Myint was allegedly killed by Captain Aung Ko Min of Light Infantry Battalion 587 based in Ye Township.

The victim's wife, 36-year-old mother of three Khin Swe Tit, said she wanted to fight for justice for her husband, but could not afford to hire her own lawyer. She had been told she would be provided a government-appointed lawyer but had yet to meet the person, she said.

Khin Swe Tit told The Irrawaddy on Friday she had tried hard to bring the case to a civilian court, even writing letters to the Union president and the Myanmar Human Rights Commission.

She said she initially wanted to summon village authorities allegedly involved in the crime, but they are serving as defense witnesses.

"They [some village authorities] were involved in helping the captain kill my husband. I am worried about how I can win this case, as they act as witnesses for him," Khin Swe Tit said.

She runs a small shop selling gasoline in Thanbyuzayat town, Mon State, to support her two children's education. She earns 4,000 to 6,000 kyats a day. Her youngest is 4 years old, and she is not sure if she can afford to send the child to school, she said.

She said her family lives mostly in Kalegauk Island, Ye Township, but sometimes in Thanbyuzayat Township. Residents of the island are sometimes asked to show ID cards to Myanmar Army personnel, according to the woman.

On May 16, her husband was stopped by Army personnel and asked for his ID card, but he had left it at their home in Thanbyuzayat. So, according to Khin Swe Tit, Captain Aung Ko Min arrested and later tortured and killed him.

At the time of his arrest, Tin Soe Myint was accompanied by his father-in-law, Nai Chan Aye. He is serving as a witness on behalf of Khin Swe Tit. When Capt. Aung Ko Min took the victim to the Army base, he ordered Nai Chan Aye to go home.

Nai Chan Aye told Moulmein-based Mon News Agency that he eventually returned to the Army base where he planned to present a letter from the village head to prove the victim was indeed a resident. However, the victim was already dead, and his body had numerous bullet wounds, including on his legs. By this time, the captain himself had been detained by two senior Army officers and handcuffed to a piece of furniture, said Nai Chan Aye.

Khin Swe Tit said her husband did not know the captain, and had never had any personal problems with him. The captain killed her husband over a missing ID card, she said.

The next court hearing will be on Dec. 18 in Moulmein. The court will hear from the defense first.

"I want to see justice for my husband. [The suspect] is charged with murder. I want him to go to prison," she said.

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Tatmadaw Forcing Boat Owners to Transport Troops in Buthidaung

Posted: 13 Dec 2018 11:55 PM PST

YANGON—The Myanmar Amy reportedly forced local boat owners to transport troops to the conflict zone in northern Rakhine State's Buthidaung Township, where civilians have been caught in the crossfire in recent clashes with the Arakan Army (AA).

Government soldiers were ambushed by AA guerillas while traveling in five boats from Myo Ma Chaung village to a location on the upper Sai Din River in Buthidaung Township. The area is a popular destination among locals visiting the Sai Din waterfall. Some residents of neighboring Kyar Nyo Pyin village told The Irrawaddy over the phone that a high-ranking officer commandeered five vessels, three owned by Muslims and two belonging to Arakanese.

Arakanese boat driver Aung Kyaw Tun was shot in the hand. Farmer U Thein Maung from Lay Myo village, who spends most of his time farming and working on a plantation near the Sai Din River, said the fighting occurred near his hut. He said 50 soldiers were patrolling the Sai Din River in the five boats. He saw at least three or four soldiers being carried by Myanmar Army (or Tatmadaw) troops, but it was unclear whether they had been killed. The wounded boat driver has been receiving medical treatment since early this week.

"I have never seen this kind of fighting before," U Thein Maung said. "The artillery explosions were very loud; I just lay on the floor of my hut."

The clash occurred a few miles from Buthidaung Township's Military Operation Command (15) based in Da Pyu Chaung. The Army announced last week that some high-ranking officers and soldiers had been killed in recent clashes with the AA in Buthidaung Township without elaborating.

Adul Wahid, a Muslim resident of Buthidaung's Du Oe Thei Ma village, said Muslim boat owners were forced to transport military personnel to the battlefield. Unconfirmed reports spread among Muslim residents that a military commander had been killed in the fighting with the AA on Monday. Since then, according to the reports, an Army artillery unit had been randomly firing into the mountains.

"As the skirmishes happened in the mountains, villagers were ordered to stay away from the forest," Adul Wahid said.

While the armed clashes broke out near ethnic Rakhine villages, some of the Rohingya villages in the area that were spared during the military's 2017 clearance operations are now frightened of further attacks, Adul Wahid said. Border police and Army troops ordered the Muslim villagers not to visit neighboring Arakanese villages for any reason for a period of time. A curfew has been imposed banning locals from going out at night and gathering.

Army troops and AA rebels fought again the next day near Kan Pyin village, and more than 200 villagers fled to neighboring Say Taung village as shells exploded nearby. U Maung Kyaw Khine from Say Taung told The Irrawaddy over the phone that more than 200 villagers took shelter at Say Taung monastery, but had left by Thursday after being ordered to go home by border police.

Based in Kachin State's Laiza, the AA in early 2015 entered Rakhine State and since established a secure foothold in areas on Myanmar's western border. The AA and two allied non-signatories to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement, the Ta'ang Nationalities Liberation Army and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army announced after meeting with members of the government's Peace Commission on Wednesday in China's Yunnan Province that they are willing to stop fighting the military and re-enter peace talks led by State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

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US Labels Crimes Committed Against Rohingya ‘Genocide’

Posted: 13 Dec 2018 11:31 PM PST

YANGON—The US House of Representatives declared crimes committed against the Rohingya Muslim minority as genocide on Wednesday, in a resolution which received an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 394 to one.

This comes just months after the US State Department in September released a report documenting widespread acts of violence against the Rohingya in northern Rakhine State in western Myanmar which stopped short of labeling the atrocities as genocide.

"With this resolution, the House will take the important step of naming the atrocities committed against the Rohingya people in Burma what they are: genocide," said Chairman Ed Royce to the House earlier this week.

More than 700,000 Rohingya people fled Rakhine to neighboring Bangladesh last year amid clearance operations by government security forces following Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army's (ARSA's) serial attacks on police outposts. The Myanmar government has denounced ARSA as a terrorist organization. Those who made it to refugee camps in Cox's Bazaar, Bangladesh accused the security forces of rape, arbitrary killings and arson.

Ed Royce told the Voice of America about the importance of this resolution and the need to hold Burmese military and security leaders accountable for their atrocities.

"We want to send the message with one voice to those who are involved in this that 'you will be held accountable.' And we want to put things in motion so that the international community understands the gravity of it," he said.

A UN fact-finding mission in August said Myanmar's military carried out mass killings and gang rapes of Rohingya with "genocidal intent" and the military chief and five generals should be prosecuted for orchestrating the gravest crimes under law.

International human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, also called for the referral of the generals to the International Criminal Court.

The Myanmar military has denied all accusations, saying their troops followed the rules of engagement.

The Myanmar government has set up an independent commission led by international experts to investigate whether human rights abuses were committed as accused. The commission on Wednesday made a public request for evidence of atrocities to be submitted to them.

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Plans to Accept $79M French Loan Shelved

Posted: 13 Dec 2018 11:21 PM PST

NAYPYITAW—The Union Parliament on Thursday voted down the government's proposal to receive loans worth 70 million euros ($79.3 million) from the French Development Agency (AFD).

Just 34 votes were in favor of the proposal and 497 against, with six abstentions despite the deputy minister for planning and finance attempting to convince lawmakers that the project would ultimately benefit Yangon residents and saying that the government has already spent almost two years preparing the project.

The loans, according to the Yangon Region government, was to be used to upgrade parks and markets, build car parking facilities, develop riverfront areas, conserve cultural heritage sites and dredge the Nga Moe Yeik Creek, an undeveloped waterway in Yangon that the regional government believes could be used for public transport.

With the interest rate being low and the country getting 32 years before having to repay the debt, the loan seems to be attractive, but lawmakers have opposed the proposal because the Yangon regional government could not clarify details of how funds from the loan would be used, said Lower House lawmaker Daw Khin San Hlaing.

Lawmakers have complained that the Yangon regional government failed to provide in its proposal details about the breakdown of the budget and timeframe to be applied to each project, or their advantages.

"We need to be very careful about loans. We already have been bearing the heavy burden of debt. Some of the projects were successful, but many projects barely had an impact in spite of large sums of money spent on them," said Daw Khin San Hlaing.

"We turned it down because [the Yangon regional government] could not present the precise data and information requested by the Parliament," said another lawmaker Daw Yin Min Hlaing.

Lawmakers were critical of the five-year project (2019-2023) since the deputy minister for planning and finance gave details about what was to be called the Transport, Waterways and Urban Heritage Project in November.

Yangon Region lawmaker U Khin Maung Maung of the ruling National League for Democracy then complained that Yangon doesn't even have enough street lights and that roads are potholed and become flooded when the rains come due to a failing drainage system.

As a result, the plan was shelved. Later, the Yangon Region government discussed the plans with the Joint Public Accounts Committee of the Union Parliament, which also endorsed the suspension.

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Myanmar’s Economy to Slow 0.6 Percent, World Bank Says

Posted: 13 Dec 2018 10:36 PM PST

YANGON — Myanmar's economic growth is expected to slow from 6.8 percent in 2017-18 to 6.2 percent in 2018-19 and face potential risks to recovery, according to the World Bank's latest country report, released Thursday.

Growth is projected to recover to 6.6 percent by 2020-21, “helped by recent policy changes such as the adoption of the Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan, liberalization of wholesale and retail trade, implementation of the Myanmar Companies Law and large investments in infrastructure projects including those related to the Belt and Road Initiative,” the bank said.

But it warned that it foresaw risks from intensifying impacts of the Rakhine crisis, domestic macroeconomic imbalances and the possible repeal of the Generalized Scheme of Preferences by the European Union and a possible slowdown in global growth.

The World Bank said that from April through October macroeconomic volatility intensified in Myanmar. The kyat depreciated significantly — by 18 percent against the U.S. dollar — having an impact on inflation, which, the report said, “is expected to climb from 5.5 percent in 2017-18 to 8.8 percent in 2018-19, driven by exchange rate pass-through and rising food prices.”

According to the World Bank, “depreciation was triggered by global factors such as the possibility of faster-than-anticipated monetary policy normalization in the US. The depreciation was accelerated by Myanmar specific factors such as the continued reliance on FDI [Foreign Direct Investment] flows for financing the current account deficit and a thin foreign exchange market that means that few and relatively small transactions can significantly move the exchange rate.”

It said industrial growth was also “expected to moderate to 8.2 percent in 2018-19 from 9.4 percent in 2017-18, on the back of softening consumption, slowing investment including FDI, and rising production cost pressure from fuel price increases and the depreciation of the kyat.”

“Services sector growth is expected to moderate to 7.6 percent in 2018-19 from 8.3 percent in 2017-18. A slowdown in the tourism and transport sectors is offsetting continued robust growth in telecommunications services and wholesale and retail trade. Despite seasonal floods and landslides, agriculture output is projected to grow at 1.2 percent in 2018-19 with strong external demand driving up paddy prices.”

According to the World Bank, Myanmar’s “current account deficit has improved, supported by rising garment exports but also a slowdown in growth of imports. The current account deficit declined from 5.5 percent of GDP (US$ 3.5 billion) in 2016-17 to 2.6 percent of GDP (US$ 1.7 billion) in 2017-18 and is projected to narrow further in 2018-19. The trade deficit narrowed from 8.5 percent of GDP in 2016-17 to 5.7 percent of GDP in 2017-18, driven by rapid increase in exports from 16.8 percent of GDP to 20.2 percent of GDP, driven by rapid growth of garment exports.

“Imports increased marginally in the same period, with investment goods imports declining by 6 percent in 2017-18 due to declining industrial investment and moderation in construction activity, while the value of imports of petroleum products increased by 43 percent in 2017-18 due to higher fuel prices. Lower profit repatriation and higher (recorded) workers' remittances also helped narrow the current account deficit.”

The World Bank said “new FDI commitments declined by 14 percent in 2017-18 compared to 2016-17, and by over 50 percent in the first half of 2018-19 as compared to the same period in 2017-18.” However, it added that it was too early to conclude that FDI commitments were in sustained decline.

“Investors and observers believe that the recent slowdown in commitments may reflect uncertainty in the investment climate related to the Rakhine crisis and weak reform momentum,” the report said.

However, the World Bank also predicted a medium-term macroeconomic recovery by 2020-21 “driven by an expected pickup in foreign and domestic investment responding to recent policy measures such as the opening of retail and wholesale sectors, services sector liberalization, loosening restrictions on foreign bank lending and continued implementation of the Companies Act.

“Construction activity is also expected to accelerate in response to a pickup in Belt and Road Initiative-related project activities.”

A recent survey by the European Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar found that 81 percent of responding firms had lost confidence in the government's management of the economy.

According to World Bank's latest ease of doing business index, Myanmar showed no improvement in its overall ranking, retaining the No. 171 spot it held last year and remaining the least favorable ASEAN member country in which to conduct business.

According to a second-quarter 2018 survey by the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, most of the businesses that responded said they were performing significantly worse than the year before. It also found that business confidence had dropped 25 percent over the past year.

The survey listed 10 main factors in the decline: higher taxation and tariffs; restrictions on financing and banking; depreciation of the kyat; unstable economic rules and regulations; lack of market demand; delays in import and export procedures; increases in local costs and inflation; foreign competition; a lack of skilled human resources; and poor infrastructure.

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China Says Second Canadian Being Probed For Harming State Security

Posted: 13 Dec 2018 08:48 PM PST

BEIJING — Canadian businessman Michael Spavor, who worked with North Korea, is being investigated on suspicion of harming China’s security, China said on Thursday, days after a former Canadian diplomat was detained in an escalating diplomatic row.

The state security bureau in the northeastern Chinese city of Dandong, which borders North Korea, has been investigating Spavor since Dec. 10, an official news site for the Liaoning Province government said.

It gave no further details.

The announcement follows the detention in Beijing on Monday of former diplomat Michael Kovrig, who works for the International Crisis Group (ICG).

State media in China has reported Kovrig is being investigated on the same charges.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang, asked about Spavor’s detention, said both he and Kovrig were suspected of harming national security, reiterating state media announcements.

“The legal rights and interests of these two Canadians have been safeguarded,” Lu told a daily news briefing. “These two cases are in the process of being investigated separately.”

The Canadian Embassy has been notified of the detentions, he added, declining to provide further details of the investigations.

Lu said he had not heard of any other cases of Canadians being investigated.

China has reacted angrily to Canada’s arrest on Dec. 1 of Chinese executive Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies, and Spavor’s investigation is likely to escalate the diplomatic row.

Meng’s arrest was made at Washington’s request. She has been accused by U.S. prosecutors of misleading banks about transactions linked to Iran, putting the banks at risk of violating sanctions.

Officials say China had not tied Kovrig’s detention to Meng’s arrest, though Canadian diplomatic experts have said they have no doubt the two cases are linked.

Asked if Meng’s release would see the two Canadians released, Lu reiterated that Meng’s arrest was mistaken action and Canada should immediately let her go.

He said authorities had taken measures “according to the law” in the Canadians’ cases, and China welcomed foreign visitors, and they had nothing to fear so long as they obeyed the law.

Hu Xijin, editor of the state-backed Global Times, a nationalistic tabloid, said on the Weibo social media platform the Chinese government would never concede that the Canadians’ detentions were related to Meng’s case.

“But the use of a complete set of laws to prove the rationale for arrest is one and the same as what the U.S. and Canada did to Meng Wanzhou,” he wrote.

Canada has been unable to contact Spavor since he notified the government that he was being questioned by Chinese authorities, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guillaume Bérubé said in statement issued in Canada.

Canadian officials were working hard to ascertain Spavor’s whereabouts and would continue to raise the issue with the Chinese government, Bérubé said.

Phone calls, messages and emails to Spavor went unanswered.

North Korea links

Friends of Spavor told Reuters he was due to fly out of Dalian, in Liaoning Province, on a Korean Air flight to South Korea at 2:05 p.m. on Monday but had not arrived.

Kovrig and Spavor were acquainted, according to people who know them, although there has been no official indication from China that their cases are linked or are related to North Korea.

Kovrig had carried out research on China’s diplomatic ties to North Korea in his work on security issues for the ICG, a think-tank focusing on conflict resolution.

Spavor, who is based in Dandong, is the head of Paektu Cultural Exchange, a China- and UK-based non-profit social enterprise.

The group says on its website it is “dedicated to facilitating sustainable cooperation, cross-cultural exchanges, activities, trade, and investment” with North Korea.

It also says it maintains an “array of contacts” within North Korea and is “nonpolitical.”

Spavor has acted as a translator and facilitator for former U.S. National Basketball Association star Dennis Rodman on trips to North Korea and shared Long Island Iced Teas with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on board one of his private boats after they went jet-skiing in 2013.

More recently, he has been trying to facilitate investment in North Korea in anticipation of sanctions being lifted, often hosting both North Korean officials and potential investors at his office in Dandong, as well as on trips inside North Korea, Spavor told Reuters in earlier interviews.

A U.S.-based friend of his told Reuters that Spavor was involved in a few projects in North Korea, including sporting exchanges and trying to broker investment, though given U.N. sanctions that was a challenge.

“It was as far as I know pretty anodyne stuff,” the friend said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“He is a very gregarious, affable guy and Korea watchers know him and like him. North Koreans seem to like him a lot too. I’m not sure what he could have done to get in this sort of situation.”

China’s Foreign Ministry suggested on Wednesday that Kovrig might have broken laws on non-governmental organizations if he was conducting work in China for the ICG, which is not registered.

Reuters could not find a registration for Spavor’s group on government databases for NGOs or social enterprises.

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U.S. House Calls on Myanmar to Release Reuters Journalists

Posted: 13 Dec 2018 08:15 PM PST

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives called nearly unanimously on Thursday for the government of Myanmar to release Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who were imprisoned one year ago in a landmark free speech case.

House members voted by 394 to 1 for a resolution calling for the release of Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, who were found guilty in September of violating Myanmar’s Official Secrets Act and sentenced to seven years in prison. The case has raised questions among a number of political leaders in the United States and Europe, human rights advocates and the United Nations about Myanmar’s progress towards democracy.

The measure is non-binding, but intended as a strong message to the government of Myanmar, also known as Burma, as well as to President Donald Trump’s administration that members of the U.S. Congress want the two men released.

The resolution also calls the Myanmar military’s campaign against the country’s Rohingya Muslim minority a genocide. In a report issued on Aug. 27, U.N. investigators said Myanmar's military carried out mass killings and gang rapes of Rohingya with “genocidal intent” and for the first time explicitly called for Myanmar officials to face genocide charges over their campaign.

The U.S. Department of State, which would make an official determination, has not made that official designation using the term genocide.

The Myanmar Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the House of Representatives vote.

The military in Myanmar, where Buddhism is the main religion, has denied past accusations that it had committed genocide against the Rohingya and says its actions were part of a fight against terrorism.

The one “no” vote came from Representative Andy Biggs, a Republican from Arizona. Asked to comment on Biggs' vote, Daniel Stefanski, a spokesman for the congressman, did not directly address the question but said the Myanmar military's “continuing oppression of the Rohingya is inhumane” and called on the Trump administration “to use maximum diplomatic pressure to end the genocide and demand the release of the two journalists.”

The reporters, who pleaded not guilty, said they were handed papers by police shortly before they were detained, and a police witness testified that they had been set up. They had been investigating the killing of 10 Rohingya men and boys as part of a military response to insurgent attacks.

Lawyers for the two Reuters reporters have lodged an appeal against their conviction and sentence. An appeal hearing is scheduled for Dec. 24.

Among other things, the House resolution also condemns attacks against civilians by the Burmese military and calls on Trump to impose additional sanctions on senior members of the Burmese military and security forces it says are responsible for human rights abuses.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Number of Journalists Jailed For Doing Job Near Record High: Report

Posted: 13 Dec 2018 08:07 PM PST

NEW YORK — A near-record number of journalists around the world are behind bars for their work, including two Reuters reporters whose imprisonment in Myanmar has drawn international criticism, according to a report released on Thursday.

There were 251 journalists jailed for doing their jobs as of Dec. 1, the Committee to Protect Journalists said in an annual study. For the third consecutive year, more than half are in Turkey, China and Egypt, where authorities have accused reporters of anti-governmental activities.

“It looks like a trend now,” the report’s author, Elana Beiser, said in an interview. “It looks like the new normal.”

The number of journalists imprisoned on charges of “false news” rose to 28, up from 21 last year and nine in 2016, according to the CPJ, a U.S.-based nonprofit that promotes press freedom.

The report criticized U.S. President Donald Trump for frequently characterizing negative media coverage as “fake news,” a phrase that is also used by leaders against their critics in countries like the Philippines and Turkey.

The study was published the same week that Time magazine named several journalists as its annual “Person of the Year.”

That group included Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who were imprisoned one year ago on Wednesday, and Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was killed at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul two months ago.

Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, were found guilty in September of violating Myanmar’s Official Secrets Act and sentenced to seven years in prison. They had been investigating the massacre of 10 Rohingya Muslim men and boys amid an army crackdown that has driven hundreds of thousands of refugees into Bangladesh.

Lawyers for the two Reuters reporters have lodged an appeal against their conviction and sentence.

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has said the jailing of the reporters had nothing to do with freedom of expression. In comments made the week after their conviction, she said they were sentenced for handling official secrets and “were not jailed because they were journalists.”

Turkey remains the world’s worst offender against press freedom, the CPJ said, with at least 68 journalists imprisoned for anti-state charges. At least 25 journalists are in prison in Egypt.

Turkey has previously said its crackdown is justified because of an attempted coup to overthrow the government in 2016. Egypt has said its actions to limit dissent are directed at militants trying to undermine the state, which saw a popular uprising in 2011 topple the county’s longtime leader Hosni Mubarak.

Asked about journalists being jailed, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said: “Legal measures are not taken because of these suspects’ or criminals’ professions. This is unrelated.”

The overall number of jailed journalists is down 8 percent from last year’s record high of 272, the CPJ said.

The total does not take into account journalists who have disappeared or are being held by non-state actors. The CPJ said there are dozens of reporters missing or kidnapped in the Middle East and North Africa, including several held by Houthi rebels in Yemen.

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