Monday, January 7, 2019

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Gov’t Accuses AA of Having Ties with ARSA

Posted: 07 Jan 2019 06:13 AM PST

YANGON—The Myanmar President's Office on Monday accused the Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic Rakhine armed group responsible for last week's deadly attacks on four police outposts, of having ties to the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), a Rohingya insurgent group denounced by the government as a terrorist organization.

The AA has been fighting Myanmar government forces in northern Rakhine State for several years with the aim of establishing a federal state system. Since last month, it has intensified its military activities.

ARSA launched a series of attacks on police outposts in 2017 in northern Rakhine, claiming it was defending the rights of Rohingya Muslims. The attack led to clearance operations by security forces that prompted nearly 700,000 Rohingya to flee to nearby Bangladesh.

President's Office spokesperson U Zaw Htay said at a press conference on Monday that AA and ARSA officials met in Ramu, Bangladesh in July last year. He said the government had learned from sources that the meeting was likely held to discuss the groups' respective areas of control within Myanmar.

"We learned they agreed that areas west of the Mayu mountain range [close to Bangladesh] would be controlled by ARSA, while areas to the east would be for the AA," he said. The spokesperson added that the AA currently has two bases on the Bangladeshi side of the border, while ARSA has three. The Myanmar government has lodged a complaint with Bangladesh over the issue, he said.

Citing a different source, he said the two organizations have a common interest in the illegal drug trade, but didn't elaborate. Northern Rakhine is notorious for frequent seizures of huge amount of yaba and other drugs.

"I think the recent [AA] attacks [on police outposts] are the outcome of their meetings in July," said U Zaw Htay, adding that the Myanmar government had ordered the military to implement effective counter-insurgency measures against the AA.

AA spokesperson U Khaing Thukha denied the accusations, saying his organization had nothing to do with ARSA and was not involved in any illegal businesses, including drug trafficking.

"We have our own mission. The Myanmar government is trying to ruin our image by saying that we have an affiliation with ARSA. It's dirty politics by them to portray us a terrorist organization," he said.

U Maung Maung Soe, an expert on ethnic affairs in Myanmar, told The Irrawaddy he was doubtful that the AA would be affiliated with ARSA, as the AA's stated cause is the protection of the Rakhine people and their state.

"So, alleging a connection with ARSA is the best way to attack AA politically. It won't solve the problem [however]," he said.

The President's Office spokesperson urged the AA to end its alleged alliance with ARSA, and invited them to join peace talks. The AA has not officially joined the government's peace process, but has held informal meetings with its Peace Commission.

"AA has to decide what they want to see for Rakhine State's future. I want to ask them whether they want to see Rakhine State caught in a vicious cycle of war."

The Irrawaddy reporter Nan Lwin Hnin Pwint contributed to this report.

The post Gov't Accuses AA of Having Ties with ARSA appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Analysis: The Year Ahead Elicits a Mix of Pessimism, Optimism

Posted: 07 Jan 2019 04:43 AM PST

YANGON—Will 2019 be a good or bad year for Myanmar? Given the unexpected problems and struggles that have cropped up in recent years—like the Rakhine conflict and the resulting crisis on the international stage, the economic downturn and intense armed conflicts—many no longer hold the high hopes and expectations they did in 2016, when Daw Aung San Suu Kyi led the National League for Democracy (NLD) in assuming the reins of power. Looking forward to the year ahead for Myanmar, there seems to be a mix of optimism and pessimism in the air. The Irrawaddy talked to political analysts, lawmakers and activists about their expectations for the new year.

U Aung Kyi Nyunt

 

U Aung Kyi Nyunt, Upper House lawmaker and member of the NLD's Central Executive Committee

"To tell the truth, based on the country's political situation, 2019 will be a combination of good and bad. The transition to democracy is still only just beginning. I hope we can move forward with reforms.

"In Parliament, lawmakers have done a much better job of representing their constituencies than before. In 2018, the Union Parliament passed a total of 36 laws, including repealing and amending some undemocratic ones. Repealing or amending repressive laws could continue in 2019. Parliamentary outreach has also expanded last year. Parliamentary committees have become more engaged with the general public, accepting more complaints and suggestions. I expect this will gain momentum in 2019 and 2020.

"The northern Rakhine conflict, which has given the country a negative image on the international stage, will be a big challenge for Myanmar this year. [Tackling] the negative effects of the global trade war on a developing country like Myanmar, and strengthening democratic practices in the country, will also be key challenges this year."

Ma May Sabe Phyu

 

Ma May Sabe Phyu, women's rights and peace activist, director of the Gender Equality Network

"2018 was a disappointing year for human rights, especially for freedom of speech and expression. The prison terms handed down against Ma Nang Pu and two others were totally unacceptable. [The three Kachin antiwar activists were arrested for participating in peaceful protests urging the government to help villagers who were trapped in the Tanai area after fleeing fighting between the Kachin Independence Army and the Myanmar military.] The convictions showed that public participation in the peace process is neglected, and that the judicial sector is not independent. There was also the case of the two Reuters journalists. Indeed, many bad things happened. I hope that in 2019, those will be corrected and that citizens' rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression will be respected. I hope this year will be a good one for human rights and peace, and that Parliament passes laws ensuring better protection of women and children, as well as enacting the long-delayed Prevention and Protection of Violence against Women bill."

U Sai Leik

 

U Sai Leik, spokesperson of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (one of the major ethnic parties)

"I don't think this year will be better than previous years. Because even if the fighting with the Tatmadaw [Myanmar's military] ceases, the clashes between ethnic armed groups will continue. Besides, the problems with ARSA [the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, in northern Rakhine] won't be settled immediately. The political situation is unstable and the rule of law is weaker than before. For those reasons, the business climate won't improve and it is unlikely that foreign direct investment will pick up. If there is stability and rule of law, we can expect business growth. But looking at the current conditions, we can't expect much.

"Regarding the peace process, we welcome the unilateral four-month ceasefire statement declared by the Tatmadaw. It would be complete if they declared a nationwide ceasefire. [The military's temporary ceasefire order covers the Northern Command in Kachin State; the Northeastern, Eastern and Central Eastern commands; and the Triangle Command in Shan State, but does not cover Rakhine State, in western Myanmar, where it has been engaged in weeks-long clashes with the Arakan Army.] But if the Tatmadaw gets closer to the Northern Alliance groups while losing touch with the ethnic armed groups that signed the NCA [Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement], that would not be good. Historically, the Tatmadaw rarely holds talks and negotiates with all the EAOs at the same time.

"It is also not very reasonable for one side to announce that peace will be achieved by 2020. [At the end of 2018, the commander-in-chief of the defense services said the peace process would be completed by 2020 and that peace would be delivered to the people.] Conflicts that started more than 60 years ago can't be ended within three years. But if the Tatmadaw opens the door to negotiations and discussions without discrimination, there is hope for the peace process."

U Aung Myo Min

 

U Aung Myo Min, human-rights defender and executive director of Equality Myanmar

"We don't hold high expectations [as before]. [The reforms] will take time, because there are many challenges and barriers. Improving human rights will be an evolution, not a revolution. But the most important thing is that we need to be cautious not to turn back from where we are now. Every effort must be made to address those challenges and we must work together. Whether they will be addressed largely depends on the government's willingness to change and collaborate.

"Regarding racial and religious extremism and attacks against human-rights defenders, this will take a long time to fix. It depends not only on the government's willingness, but also on every citizen's mindset and belief. Amending the law is easy, but changing minds takes time. It will be impossible to [achieve everything we] want in 2019."

U Kyaw Zay Ya / Facebook

 

U Kyaw Zay Ya, outspoken Yangon regional lawmaker

"Business-wise, I think there will be economic development and business growth, as the State Counselor [Daw Aung San Suu Kyi] has called on foreign businesses to invest in Myanmar and new investment and company laws have also been introduced. The only thing we need is stability.

"For Yangon, if the regional government continues [to act as it did in] 2016, 2017 and 2018, failing to implement its vows, there won't be change. The regional government must accomplish what it has been promising for the past three years. The plan to introduce a cashless payment system for the Yangon Bus Service, arrangements for street vendors and the resettlement plan for squatters—all have failed so far. If they implement at least 60 percent of the promises and pledges made in Parliament, the region will see significant achievements. Yet so far, the government has made little effort to collaborate with Parliament."

The post Analysis: The Year Ahead Elicits a Mix of Pessimism, Optimism appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Three Suspects Charged With Murder in Comedian’s Death

Posted: 07 Jan 2019 04:42 AM PST

YANGON—The Yangon Eastern District Court on Monday officially charged three suspects with the murder of Aung Yell Htwe, a year after the Facebook comedian was beaten to death.

The prosecution and defense made their final arguments on Dec. 24.

Than Htut Aung and Pyae Phyo Aung were charged under Section 302 (2) of the Penal Code for allegedly fatally beating Aung Yell Htwe. Kyaw Zaw Han was charged under Section 302 (2)/114 for allegedly aiding and abetting the crime.

If found guilty, the accused face maximum sentences of 10 years in prison with hard labor, plus a fine under Section 302 (2) of Penal Code.

The next trial session is scheduled for Jan. 15, when witnesses will testify.

A forensic pathologist from Yangon General Hospital testified in the murder trial last month that Aung Yell Htwe died from severe head trauma including skull fracturing and hemorrhaging of the membranes surrounding the brain resulting from blows with a hard, blunt object.

Aung Yell Htwe, a popular comedian on Facebook, was severely beaten by a group of men at a New Year's Eve party on Dec. 31, 2017. He underwent surgery at Yangon General Hospital for his injuries but died hours later.

The Eastern District Court had previously dropped the case after questioning only 14 witnesses and before hearing from either the pathologist or police investigators, or reviewing CCTV records. Yangon's attorney general at the time, U Han Htoo, who approved the dismissal, said there was no solid evidence against the suspects.

President U Win Myint ordered the case re-investigated following a public outcry. Yangon's Eastern District Court then resumed the trial in October last year. U Han Htoo was dismissed from his position and is on trial with five other court officials for allegedly taking bribes from a relative of one of the three suspects to drop the case.

The post Three Suspects Charged With Murder in Comedian's Death appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Salween Peace Park to Keep Lands in Local Hands

Posted: 07 Jan 2019 04:15 AM PST

A Karen environmental group has said there is no vacant land in Karen State and that all land and its natural resources are managed and belong to Karen indigenous communities.

The Karen Environmental and Social Action Network (KESAN) has officially announced plans to establish a 5,485-square kilometer park covering the basin of the Salween River, a river sometimes called by its Burmese name, Thanlwin. The park is to be located in the Papun (known locally as Mutraw) area which is home to the Karen National Liberation Army's (KNLA's) Brigade No. 5. The region has seen much armed conflict between KNLA and Tatmadaw (Myanmar Army) troops over the Tatmadaw's attempts to build a road through it for military use. The Myanmar government also have eyes set on the area with plans to build a hydroelectric dam on the Salween River.

The name to be given to the park, Salween Peace Park was announced on Dec. 18, just days after the government's announcement of amendments made to the Vacant Land Law. The amended law is seen as a threat to many ethnic groups in Myanmar who tend to deal with land ownership through their own customary laws.

Karen customary land laws are defunct under the amended law which requires landowners to register with the government. Land which is not registered may be given to anyone who applies for the rights to work on the land. According to local rights groups, this issue may give rise to further armed conflict in the area between Karen groups and the Tatmadaw.

"If we look at [the government's] land law, it is not appropriate for our plan (to build a park). However, if we look at the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, our Karen indigenous people have the right to protect their land," said Saw Paul Sein Twa, executive director of KESAN.

"We do not want to go directly against the government's law—we want them to change their law," he said.

Karen rebels are part of the country's longest-running civil war with the central government which has continued for over 60 years. For many years, Karen people have not been able to actively protect their environment. KESAN says they are now calling for all Karen to actively protect the environment.

"Under our 'convention of biodiversity' strategy, we target various levels of environmental protection. Through our actions, we intend to reach the targets. Along the way, we also help the Karen community for [the protection of their] environment," he said.

The Karen have long-established customary laws in place to protect their lands and environment. The laws allow for areas where wildlife lives freely, but also zones where locals can cut small amounts of timber for their cooking needs. They also have untouched forests.

For the implementation of the park, KESAN has formed a governance body which includes locals, members of civil society organizations (CSOs) and members of the Karen National Union (KNU), with the locals to take a leading role in decision-making.

The committee will work with KESAN to establish the park, first defining the border of the park and then mapping the area using GPS. They will record the names of each river, area and village. This will help to define the borderline areas and therefore decide what land belongs to who in order to avoid territorial disputes in the future.

Traditionally, locals define land borders using natural landmarks like rocks or trees, but this does not accurately track land ownership. The organizers of the Salween Peace Park will use GPS to track specifically which areas belong to who.

"After mapping the areas, we can then decide which area will be for wildlife and which areas will be for local people's use. We will have the road names and river names and this will become the evidence the locals can use to show they own the land," said Saw Paul Sein Twa.

If the government tries to carry out development in our Karen area, we can show our maps and which areas belong to who, he said.

The park will cover around 300 villages with over 60,000 residents who will be mainly responsible for the care of their lands. KESAN said they will educate the locals on how to care for the land.

KESAN and the Salween Peace Park governance body will work together with local people to map areas and define zones for forestry, cutting timber, mining and growing food. The park will continue to follow customary Karen laws for the protection of the park.

Wildlife in the Salween Peace Park captured by KESAN’s Karen Wildlife Conservation Initiative. / KESAN

As Karen customary laws are traditionally passed from generation to generation orally, with no official paper records, people usually go on their elders' advice for the protection of the environment.

"We will let them write their law, and let them respect their written law. If someone violates the law, they will punish the person for it. If the bottom level cannot solve the problem, then they can go to governance body level," said Saw Paul Sein Twa.

This plan, however, could lead to misunderstandings with the KNU—especially with the KNU's forestry department. In order to avoid this, representatives of the KNU have been invited to join the park's governance body.

As a park to be created by an ethnic group amid ongoing armed conflict, it will be the first of its kind in Myanmar. Similar projects do exist abroad, however, including in Canada and the Amazon where indigenous peoples have formed and maintain their own protected parks. These examples formed part of the inspiration for KESAN to initiate the Salween Peace Park project.

KESAN says the local indigenous people can work effectively to establish the park without government input. Historic examples have shown that the government often abuses ethnic rights when they create national parks in ethnic areas. Saw Paul Sein Twa said that UN research has shown that ethnic people may even destroy land when control of their lands is to be taken from them for the benefit of another group.

The park area is home to different types of wildlife and many tigers, according to KESAN. Together with the park's governance body, KESAN has already formed the Karen Wildlife Conservation Initiative (KWCI), a group tasked with monitoring wildlife in the area. KWCI will work with international wildlife groups and they expect the wildlife population to grow under the initiative.

As the Karen community undergoes more political and social changes, the environment is increasingly under threat. Since the KNU signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement in 2015, the state has seen an increase in mining businesses. Non-indigenous hunters who attempt to hunt in the area also threaten the environment and wildlife population.

The Salween Peace Park aims to use modern methods alongside customary laws to protect the Karen environment.

"We can't continue anymore in the old style of the last five decades. Our Karen need new methods to protect their environment," said Saw Paul Sein Twa.

The park’s governing body will record the names of lands, villages, rivers and roads in a bid to prove ownership. / KESAN

A recount of the launch of Salween Peace Park

A number of journalists, activists and environmentalists were invited to Papun for the official launch of Salween Peace Park. Here, freelance writer Scott Ezell, recounts his impression of the land in which the Salween Peace Park is to be established.

We got off a longtail boat at a small Karen village on the banks of the Salween, north of the Thai border at Mae Sariang. We rode a large goods lorry straight up the face of a line of mountains and from the top, we could see for miles in all directions. The landscape was made up of fold after fold of mountains and valleys running north-south in Karen State and also across the Salween in Thailand. In Thailand the forest was cut and replanted 10 or 20 years ago, but in Karen State, locally known as Kawthoolei, the forest was closer to being whole and in its original state.

The roads in the area are not paved and there is no cell phone reception, so entering Karen State is like going back in time.

The landscape inside the Salween Peace Park is lush and green with streams and rivers running through. The mountains rise up from the rivers so when you are in the valley you feel enclosed there. There is no electricity except for generators and some solar panels. Construction in the villages is mostly bamboo, thatch and wood, with little concrete in the area and very few motorbikes. People work with their hands and with the natural materials from the environment, especially bamboo and wood. Most of the women and men wear traditional Karen clothing.

There were KNLA soldiers at the peace park launch, and they served as a reminder that even though the lifestyle here is simple, organic, and based on the natural materials of this land, these people are also enclosed within a war zone. The tribute made to Saw O Moo, who was killed by Tatmadaw soldiers in 2017, was a reminder that there is a constant threat of danger here.

The peace park is a project to build peace from the ground up, and not to wait for it to come from Naypyitaw. At the same time, "peace" for the Karen also means being able to live in their land in the way they desire. To send Karen people to refugee camps, or to Chiang Mai or Canada, might protect them from military violence, but it is another way to remove them from the land where they belong.

Since Karen State holds the largest amount of remaining biodiversity in Myanmar, it is clear that the traditional Karen means of livelihood and land management feeds directly into global goals such as protecting forests and biodiversity, as well as making claim to the rights of indigenous peoples promised by the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to which Myanmar is a signatory.

Leaving the Peace Park was like leaving behind another world—a world where the central government and corporations have not yet arrived, where people and forests and animals are all still living in balance, without outside forces extracting resources for profit. It is not true that Karen State is entirely untouched by development and mega-projects are planned, including the Hat Gyi Dam on the Salween. However, seeing how the Karen people have preserved their culture and the natural landscape, make it clear that the Salween Peace Park would be an ideal way to manage this large area of Karen State communities and forests, as well as other areas in the world where indigenous peoples still live on the land which is their home.

Additional reporting by Scott Ezell, a freelance journalist who visited Papun district last month.

The post Salween Peace Park to Keep Lands in Local Hands appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Pa-O Villagers Seek Refuge in Wa Zone

Posted: 07 Jan 2019 03:46 AM PST

Nearly 500 Pa-O refugees from villages of Mong Pan Township are taking shelter in the area controlled by the United Wa State Army (UWSA) east of the Salween River in southern Shan State following threats allegedly made by Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) soldiers against local civilians.

Villagers are leaving their homes in search of safety and the Wa-controlled area, about 111 kilometers (69 miles) from Mong Pan, is the nearest place where they can find it, according to Nang Yin Yin Soe, the member of the Pa-O National Liberation Organization (PNLO)'s information department.

The PNLO publically denounced the RCSS's actions on Friday, when they said at least 300 Pa-O villagers from three villages—Naung Cho, Mai Poke and Pan Pi—of Nar Mon village tract in Mong Pan Township were fleeing towards the eastern side of the Salween River, following threats the RCSS made against them.

"RCSS troops summoned villagers to the monastery in nearby Pang Mi village on Dec. 31 and threatened to burn down their villages if anyone helps either the Pa-O group (PNLO) or the Tatmadaw (Myanmar Army)," said Nang Yin Yin Soe. She said the locals have been experiencing such threats for a long time.

One of the villages, Pan Pi, suffered a huge monastery fire in November which killed two novice monks and was allegedly followed by similar threats from the RCSS against the locals.

The United Wa State Army (UWSA) area is known as No.171 Military Region and the group said they have been taking care of the displaced Pa-O people since the last week of December.

U Nyi Rang, the UWSA's liaison officer in Lashio said residents of the conflict-affected villages of Mong Pan have been coming to the Wa area continuously with a higher number over the last two days. His group has been providing humanitarian assistance to some 500 families so far which includes children, women and elders, he said.

"We provide food and shelter for them. Our soldiers and the villagers of Pin Sa in Khaik Lon Township are helping the IDPs to build temporary shelters," said U Nyi Rang. He said the UWSA urges the groups (RCSS and PNLO) to find a way to negotiate and solve the military conflicts.

Armed conflict between the RCSS and the PNLO, both the signatories of the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA), began in November last year and escalated in December when a number of Pa-O villagers were shot dead by RCSS soldiers which spurred another murder.

The post Pa-O Villagers Seek Refuge in Wa Zone appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

World’s Biggest Book Sale Set to Arrive in Yangon

Posted: 07 Jan 2019 02:57 AM PST

A traveling book sale billed as the world's largest, Big Bad Wolf Books, is scheduled to be held in Yangon for the first time from Jan. 18-28. The sale will be held at the Myanmar Event Park (MEP) on the Min Dhamma.

Famous for being open round the clock, the event will run non-stop, 24 hours a day for 11 days, offering about 1 million books at discounts of 50 to 90 percent.

Big Bad Wolf Books was launched in Malaysia in 2009 by Andrew Yap and Jacqueline Ng. It has been brought to Yangon by U Myo Aung, director of the Ready to Read Myanmar organization.

"When I learned about the Big Bad Wolf Books sale through a friend and met with the founders, I realized that this is something I must introduce to Myanmar. I've been dreaming of this for a long time," U Myo Aung told The Irrawaddy.

U Myo Aung, a director of Ready to Read Myanmar who brought the 'Big Bad Wolf Books' sale to Yangon / Htet Wai

Attending the Big Bad Wolf Book Sale in Bangkok, Thailand last year only confirmed U Myo Aung's belief that Myanmar needed to host the event, as it is a growing country whose people need encouragement to develop their proficiency in reading English, which he said was the language that connects the world.

"This is the first-ever 24-hour book sale in Myanmar. All the books are original and brand new," he added.

The main purpose of this book sale, according to U Myo Aung, is to allow "more people in Myanmar to read English-language books at very affordable prices. In Myanmar, we have few bookshops selling English-language books, and most of them are expensive. That's why I want to this event to happen; there will be a selection of books for all reading levels."

He added, "We hope to create a new generation of readers, and also hope it contributes to the improvement of English literacy rates in Myanmar."

At the event, booklovers will find a wide offering of titles in various genres ranging from romance, science fiction, crime, thriller, business and self-help to cookbooks, architecture books and more.

For children, there will be storybooks, activity books, audio books, picture books, coloring books and much more.

"We will have [only a limited selection of] books about religion and politics. We are targeting young adults and kids to encourage them to read more English-language books," U Myo Aung said.

A flyer for the 'Big Bad Wolf Books' sale / Htet Wai

Big Bad Wolf Books is known for being Asia's biggest market for augmented reality (AR) books, and is the exclusive seller of Little Hippo AR books.

So far, Big Bad Wolf Books sales have been held in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates.

"We also plan to accept books from donors at the sale. Some people want to buy books [in exchange for donating their] libraries. So, we will accept their books and have a dedicated counter for that," U Myo Aung said.

Big Bad Wolf Books founder Yap said, "Reading can enhance imagination and creative thinking, vocabulary and overall communication skills. It is very important for children and young adults to get exposed to books and make reading a habit."

He added that, "Parents should encourage their young ones to read more … as reading is a habit that should be instilled from a young age."

Ahead of opening day, a special VIP Day will be held on Jan. 17. Hundreds of tickets for this will be given away via contests on Big Bad Wolf Books Myanmar's social media pages.

This is a major opportunity for booklovers; and as a 24-hour sale you can attend at any hour of the day or night.

The post World's Biggest Book Sale Set to Arrive in Yangon appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Court Acquits 8 Farmers Sued by Owner of Unused Land in Irrawaddy Region

Posted: 07 Jan 2019 02:16 AM PST

PATHEIN—A court in Irrawaddy Region's Nyaungdon Township on Jan. 3 acquitted eight farmers involved in a land dispute case.

In 2006, the Irrawaddy Region Peace and Development Council, the regional branch of the then-military government, granted 999 acres of land in Byaw Tha Lan village tract in Nyaungdon Township to a businessman. The businessman failed to develop the land for industrial purposes, however, and the original owners began farming it again in 2014.

In 2016 the businessman sued eight farmers under the Vacant, Fallow and Virgin Land Management Law. After a trial lasting more than two years, the court acquitted the farmers.

"The businessmen hadn't used the land for [the four years stipulated under the law]. So, according to the Vacant, Fallow and Virgin Land Management Law, the land automatically reverts to state ownership. The farmers' use of the land was intended to support their livelihoods. Considering these points, the court acquitted them," defense lawyer U Nyein Chan Myo told The Irrawaddy.

According to the Myanmar Legal Aid Network, the case marks the first acquittal of farmers sued by a businessman in a land dispute in Nyaungdon Township. In most such cases, farmers are either sentenced to prison or fined, it said.

"During the two-year trial, there were many days we had to skip lunch to cover transportation costs to go to court. This is the truth. We are very happy that the Nyaungdon Township judge delivered a fair verdict," said Ko Khin Maung Lwin, one of the eight farmers.

However, another 20 farmers have been sued by the businessman and his managers for farming on the land, he said.

"I welcome the verdict of Nyaungdon Township court. Since the new government threatened to take back unused land, businessmen have started growing things on such land; they had neglected it for many years, while suing those who tried to farm it," lawmaker U Kyaw Hsan, who represents Nyaungdon Township in the Irrawaddy Region Parliament, told The Irrawaddy.

"Farmers incur heavy costs when they face trial. There are many similar cases in Maubin District. It seems that farmers are at the mercy of the courts," the lawmaker said.

Meanwhile, 38 farmers from Pa Long village in Maubin Township are facing trial at the township court on similar charges under the Vacant, Fallow and Virgin Land Management Law for farming on land owned by a private company.

In the 2000s, the military regime granted over 170,000 acres of land in Nyaungdon, Maubin, Danubyu and Pantanaw townships in Maubin District to over 270 private companies.

After coming to power in 2016, the National League for Democracy-led government reviewed those lands and found that over 6,700 acres had been developed by the companies, with the remaining 130,000 acres lying idle.

The post Court Acquits 8 Farmers Sued by Owner of Unused Land in Irrawaddy Region appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Surveying Begins on Muse-Mandalay Railway

Posted: 07 Jan 2019 01:34 AM PST

YANGON—Ground survey work began Sunday on the Myanmar-China high-speed railway, a project that will link two economic centers in Myanmar with Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province in southwestern China, as part of Beijing's grand infrastructure plan for the region.

"A joint team is working on a study of the railway alignment," Ministry of Transport and Communications permanent secretary U Win Khant told The Irrawaddy.

In October, two state-owned companies—China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group (China Railway Group Ltd) (CREEG) and Myanmar Railways—signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to conduct a feasibility study as a part of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC), which is itself part of China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The Mandalay-Muse railway project will be 431km (268 miles) long and pass through armed conflict areas in Shan State.

U Win Khant said, "There are some places [in Shan State] that are not accessible to the study due to security concerns."

"We are still negotiating with the state minister and Home Affairs [Ministry] officials on security issues in order to access those areas," U Win Khant said.

According to the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the survey will work on the Naung Cho (Nawnghkio)-Lashio section of the railway from Jan. 6 to April 13 and the Lashio-Muse section from January 15 to April 2.

Muse, on Myanmar's border with Yunnan province, is the largest trade portal between the two nations. Mandalay is central Myanmar's commercial center and the country's second largest city. The railway is expected to become a lifeline for China-Myanmar trade.

The Muse-Mandalay railway is also the initial stage in a strategic railway link that Beijing plans to build, with a parallel expressway, from Ruili in Yunnan province to Kyaukphyu in Rakhine, along with a separate road running through northern Myanmar, India's northeastern states, and Bangladesh.

In 2011, Beijing and Naypyitaw signed an MoU agreeing to build a railway from Ruili to Kyaukphyu via Muse. The entire rail line was to run 810km. However, the government of then-President U Thein Sein suspended the project following strong local objections. The agreement expired in 2014.

Under a new MoU, CREEG will cover the full cost of the study, which will assess the environmental and social impacts of the proposed railway line. While the agreement calls for a study period of two years, U Win Khant said the study is expected to be finished in six months to a year.

Currently, Mandalay is connected to Muse via Lashio by the national highway. The trip takes more than eight hours. According to the ministry, electric trains will run at speeds of 160 kph, cutting the travel time to roughly three hours. The ministry expects to construct at least seven freight stations and five passenger stations along the route.

According to U Win Khant, the ministry will announce details on the number of bridges, tunnels and the exact locations of stations on the railway after the first stage of the survey is complete.

Despite warnings from critics that the project could burden Myanmar with unsustainable debts and provoke more armed conflict in the project areas, Minister of Transport and Communications U Thant Sin Maung said the railway is a priority project and part of Myanmar's national transport master plan.

Currently, Myanmar is implementing five priority transportation corridors. The Muse-Mandalay railway would be part of the South Transportation Corridor section of the Trans Asian Railway Network (TAR), a project implemented by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.

The post Surveying Begins on Muse-Mandalay Railway appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

AA ‘Backstabbed’ Gov’t Forces in Jan. 4 Attacks: Border Guard Officer

Posted: 07 Jan 2019 12:47 AM PST

SITTWE—The commander of the Border Guard Police in Rakhine State's Maungdaw has described as "backstabbing" the Arakan Army (AA)'s coordinated attacks on four police outposts in Buthidaung Township on Jan. 4.

"The Border Guard Police cooperate with the Tatmadaw on security and protection of Rakhine State against threats from ARSA [the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army]. But the AA orchestrated [attacks] to undermine stability in Rakhine State. I view this as stabbing us in the back," Police Brig-Gen. Myint Toe told reporters on Sunday.

"Everybody knows whether the [AA] should have done this. [The AA] attacked while the Tatmadaw [the Myanmar military]'s units were off guard, and while there were fewer military units [in the area] as they were performing other duties. Under such circumstances, they attacked with heavy forces. I think it is an act [aimed at] taking political advantage," he added.

The Tatmadaw declared a four-month unilateral ceasefire on Dec. 21 in five military regions. The ceasefire does not cover Rakhine State, which is overseen by the country's Western Command.

The government said 13 police were killed and nine others injured in the AA attacks on Jan. 4 as Myanmar celebrated the 71st anniversary of independence from British rule.

Police lost 40 small arms, over 16,000 rounds of ammunition and a walkie-talkie in the attacks, the government said.

Khaing Thu Kha, the AA's information officer, said the armed group launched the attacks because the Myanmar Army stationed troops at the police outposts. He also accused police of helping the Tatmadaw conduct artillery attacks on the AA.

Police Brig-Gen Myint Toe denied the AA's claim.

"We provided fire support only after they [the AA] launched attacks. Our Border Guard Police force No. 8 provided fire support for the Nga Myin Baw police outpost, and the Tatmadaw provided fire support for the Kyaung Taung police outpost. We didn't engage in artillery fire," he told reporters.

The AA abducted 18 people, including security personnel and some of their family members, in the Jan. 4 attacks but later released them.

The Myanmar Police Force announced on Saturday that it had filed cases against those involved in the attacks under the Counter Terrorism Law. If found guilty, the accused face maximum sentences of 10 years in prison.

The post AA 'Backstabbed' Gov't Forces in Jan. 4 Attacks: Border Guard Officer appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Alleged Rohingya Drugs Peddlers Murdered in Cox’s Bazar

Posted: 07 Jan 2019 12:38 AM PST

DHAKA—Bangladesh police on Saturday recovered the bullet-riddled bodies of two Rohingya men and seized 10,000 contraband pills on Cox's Bazar-Teknaf Marine Drive Road in the Tekhnaf sub-district of Cox’s Bazar, a town on the border with Myanmar.

Teknaf police officials said the murdered men were involved in peddling drugs from Myanmar and are identified as Khairul Amin, 35, and Abdullah, 40, of Block-D in Unchiprang refugee camp in Teknaf.

Both of them have lived in Unchiprang camp in Tekhnaf since their arrival to Bangladesh after fleeing the Myanmar military crackdown in northern Rakhine State which began on August 25, 2017.

Over 700,000 people have fled Myanmar following the military crackdown.

According to the district police headquarters, they are the first Rohingya to be killed over drug peddling since the latest influx of refugees began in August 2017.

Pradip Kumar Das, the officer-in-charge of Teknaf Police Station, claimed that locals informed them of finding the two bullet-riddled bodies at Mitapanirchara Point on Cox's Bazar-Teknaf Marine Drive Road at about 11 a.m. on Saturday.

A team of Teknaf police rushed to the spot, recovered the bodies and sent them to the district hospital in Cox's Bazar for post-mortem examinations.

Pradip Kumar Das said the police seized 10,000 contraband yaba pills from their possession but no firearms were found.

The Myanmar-made yaba pill contains a mixture of methamphetamine and caffeine and is widely used in Bangladesh in recent years following a crackdown on the sale of Indian-made cough-syrup called Phensedyl.

The district police additional superintendent Iqbal Hossain suspected "these two were killed in gangland fighting over sharing of money earned through drug peddling."

However, he said investigations would be launched into their roles in the transporting of drugs from Myanmar.

Iqbal Hossain said many Rohingya are being "used" as drugs mules for moving yaba from Myanmar to Bangladesh through land and river routes.

A Rohingya leader of Unchiprang refugee camp confirmed that both men were living in the camp and said he heard they had been detained beforehand.

Talking to The Irrawaddy, Abdullah's son Mohammed Arakan said his father was arrested by six to seven police officers near the camp in Unchiprang at about 8 p.m. on Friday, and since then his whereabouts was not known to them.

"We later identified him by seeing the photos on Facebook. We are not allowed to see the bodies,' said the 20-year-old.

Khairul Amin's brother Mohammed Rafiq claimed that police arrested his brother at the house of a suspected drug peddler Shah Alam in Block-A of the Unchiprang camp at about 9 p.m. on Friday.

He said his brother was arrested over enmity. Mohammed Rafiq said Shah Alam has been in prison for over a month.

Bangladesh authorities launched an anti-drug drive in May 2018, and over 300 people were killed in "gunfight" or "crossfire" and "bullet-riddled bodies" have been found in different parts in the country.

Several thousand alleged dealers were arrested in the aggressive campaign that some rights activists have compared to President Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial war on drugs in the Philippines.

Immediately after the launch of the anti-drug drive, on May 2, 2018, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in Cox's Bazar conducted raids in Balukhali camp in the Ukhiya sub-district and Jadimura camp in the Tekhnaf sub-district, arresting four "Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals" who had 30,000 yaba pills in their possession.

Over a dozen Rohingya, along with several Bangladeshi nationals, were arrested in separate operations carried out by RAB since then resulting in an overall seizure of 250,000 yaba pills.

In 2015, a small number of Rohingya refugees were killed in Cox's Bazar for their alleged connection with human trafficking.

The post Alleged Rohingya Drugs Peddlers Murdered in Cox's Bazar appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Trump Holds Firm on Border Wall, Offers Steel Option as Compromise

Posted: 06 Jan 2019 08:37 PM PST

WASHINGTON—US President Donald Trump pledged on Sunday not to bend in his demand for a wall along the southern border with Mexico but said the barrier could be made of steel instead of concrete as a potential compromise with Democrats who refuse to fund it.

Trump’s comments came at the start of the third week of a partial government shutdown resulting from the dispute that has left hundreds of thousands of federal workers idled or without paychecks.

Trump threatened again, without providing specifics on where the funding would originate, to declare a national emergency as an alternative way to build the wall, depending on the outcome of talks in the coming days.

Democrats have declined to approve the $5.6 billion Trump wants to fulfill a 2016 campaign promise to curb illegal immigration. Led by new Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democrats passed a bill in the House of Representatives last week to reopen the government without wall funding. Pelosi has called a border wall immoral.

“This is a very important battle to win from the standpoint of safety, number one, [and] defining our country and who we are,” Trump told reporters at the White House before leaving for a short trip to the Camp David presidential retreat.

“The barrier, or the wall, can be of steel instead of concrete, if that helps people. It may be better,” he said.

The White House painted that offer, which Trump floated previously, as an olive branch.

In a letter to congressional leaders on Sunday detailing its funding demands, the Trump administration included a request for an additional $800 million to address urgent humanitarian needs at the southern border.

Mick Mulvaney, Trump’s acting chief of staff, told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that agreeing to a steel barrier would allow Democrats to stick to their refusal to fund a wall.

“That should help us move in the right direction,” he said.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer did not show his hand when asked whether the White House offer to move away from a concrete structure was evidence of compromise.

“It’ll be discussed,” he said on NBC.

Vice President Mike Pence led a second round of talks with congressional aides on Sunday about the issue, but Trump said he did not expect those talks to produce results, noting that the principals—himself, Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer—were the ones who could solve it quickly.

“If we don’t find a solution, it’s going to go on for a long time. There’s not going to be any bend right here,” Trump said.

He later tweeted that the Pence talks were productive. But a Democratic aide familiar with the meeting said Democrats urged the White House to pass measures to reopen the government without wall funding and Pence said Trump would not do that. The aide said no progress was made and no further meetings of the group were scheduled.

Other concessions?

Democrats could demand other concessions from the White House, such as protections for immigrants brought illegally to the United States as children, known as Dreamers, or changes to other spending provisions. Trump said he wanted to help on the Dreamer issue but preferred to wait for a Supreme Court ruling on it first.

Democratic US Senator Dick Durbin reacted coolly to Trump’s suggestion of declaring a national emergency. “I don’t know what he’s basing this on, but he’s faced so many lawsuits when he ignores the law and ignores tradition and precedent,” Durbin said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”

Large chunks of the federal government were shut down on Dec. 22 after lawmakers and the president hit an impasse over Trump’s demand that a bill to keep the federal government operational include money to help build a $23 billion wall along the US border with Mexico. About 800,000 government workers are either furloughed or working without pay.

“I can relate,” Trump, a former New York businessman, said when asked if he could relate to the pain of federal workers struggling to pay their bills. “I’m sure that the people that are on the receiving end will make adjustments.” Asked if workers would get paid on Friday, Trump said: “We’ll see whether or not it’s settled.”

Not all Republicans agree with Trump’s insistence on keeping government agencies shuttered until the border debate is resolved.

“It is not a sign of weakness to try to figure out a middle ground, and I think that both sides need to indicate a willingness to listen and to compromise," US Senator Susan Collins of Maine said on NBC. She called the debate over using steel versus concrete “bizarre.”

House Democrats plan to pass a series of bills this week to reopen government, breaking up legislation they have already approved in a bid to get Republicans to agree to reopen certain agencies, Hoyer said on “Meet the Press.”

“We need to open up government and then negotiate. Not the other way around,” he said.

The post Trump Holds Firm on Border Wall, Offers Steel Option as Compromise appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Rain Clears Smog in Indian Capital Yet Air Quality ‘Very Poor’

Posted: 06 Jan 2019 08:20 PM PST

NEW DELHI—A rainy spell early on Sunday brought better air to residents of New Delhi, giving them a brief respite from thick grey smog that has shrouded the Indian capital for the last two months, although air quality continued to be “very poor.”

A measure of tiny, hazardous breathable particles known as PM 2.5 reached an average of 182 by 12 p.m., the Central Pollution Control Board said, its lowest since Nov. 4.

But pollution was still five times more than a US government recommended level of 35 to stand at “unhealthy” levels, according to the US embassy.

“Change in weather conditions by rain or higher wind speed helps dissipate peak pollution, but we continue to need strong emergency actions such as shutting power plants,” said Anumita Roychowdhury of the Centre for Science and Environment think-tank.

The federal government air quality index rated Delhi’s air quality “very poor” on Sunday and had a similar forecast for Monday, urging people with respiratory and cardiac problems to avoid polluted areas and limit outdoor movement.

A sharp drop in temperatures and wind speed over the last two weeks, combined with vehicle and industrial emissions, dust from building sites and smoke from garbage burning has stoked pollution over much of north India.

Levels of PM 2.5, or particles smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter, hit their highest last year at 450 on Dec. 23.

Despite the pollution, there is little sign Delhi’s 20 million residents are taking steps to protect themselves. Activists say the apparent lack of concern gives politicians the cover they need for not tackling the issue adequately.

The post Rain Clears Smog in Indian Capital Yet Air Quality 'Very Poor' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Southeast Asia Wary of China’s Belt and Road Project, Skeptical of US—Survey

Posted: 06 Jan 2019 08:13 PM PST

SINGAPORE—Southeast Asian countries should be cautious in negotiating with China on its flagship Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to avoid being trapped in unsustainable debt, 70 percent of respondents said in a policy survey released on Monday.

Southeast Asia is increasingly skeptical of the US commitment to the region as a strategic partner and a source of security, while China’s reach is seen as growing both politically and economically, the study also showed.

“The conventional wisdom that China holds sway in the economic realm while the United States wields its influence in the political-strategic domain will… need to be revisited in light of the survey results,” it said.

The survey by the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, affiliated with the Singapore government, polled 1,008 respondents from all ten nations of the ASEAN grouping, drawn from government, academic and business communities, civil society and the media.

Nearly half of the respondents said President Xi Jinping’s hallmark Belt and Road initiative would bring ASEAN “closer into China’s orbit,” while a third said the project lacked transparency and 16 percent predicted it would fail.

A large majority, or 70 percent, said their governments “should be cautious in negotiating BRI projects, to avoid getting into unsustainable financial debts with China,” a view strongest in Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand.

Some Western governments have accused China of pulling countries into a debt trap with the initiative, an accusation China has denied.

China was seen by 73 percent of the respondents as having the greatest economic influence in the region and was also believed to have more influence politically and strategically than the United States.

Six out of 10 respondents said US influence globally had deteriorated from a year ago and two-thirds believed US engagement with Southeast Asia declined. About a third said they had little or no confidence in the US as a strategic partner and provider of regional security.

Fewer than one in 10 saw China as “a benign and benevolent power,” with nearly a half saying Beijing possessed “an intent to turn Southeast Asia into its sphere of influence.”

The study’s authors wrote, “This result… is a wake-up call for China to burnish its negative image across Southeast Asia despite Beijing's repeated assurance of its benign and peaceful rise.”

There was a call for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to play a more active role in Myanmar’s Rohingya crisis, although a majority of the respondents sought mediation rather than diplomatic pressure.

The United Nations says 730,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled from Myanmar’s Rakhine State to Bangladesh since the military’s crackdown following insurgent attacks.

UN-mandated investigators have accused Myanmar’s military of carrying out killings, gang rape and arson with “genocidal intent,” an allegation the military has denied.

The post Southeast Asia Wary of China’s Belt and Road Project, Skeptical of US—Survey appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Vietnam’s Viettel Seeks to Double Myanmar Customer Base—CEO

Posted: 06 Jan 2019 07:59 PM PST

HANOI—Vietnam’s largest telecommunication company, Viettel, is seeking to double its five million subscribers in Myanmar by the end of the year, its president and chief executive officer Le Dang Dung told Reuters an in interview on Friday.

Viettel, whose $1.22 billion unit Viettel Global Investment is trading on the Unlisted Public Company Market, has also shown interest in investing in North Korea and Cuba.

“The growth seen in Myanmar is rare in the telecom market,” Dung told Reuters at his office in Hanoi. “We still have room to grow there”.

Myanmar, where Viettel and its local partners launched a $1.5 billion 4G network in June last year has emerged as one of the most promising markets for the company, Dung said.

The Mytel network, jointly developed by Myanmar National Holding Public Ltd and Star High Public Co Ltd, has amassed around five million subscribers, a figure which Dung said he expects to double by the end of this year.

Viettel is also in talks to buy stakes in existing telecommunication firms in Malaysia and Indonesia, Dung said, without giving further details due to the sensitivity of the deals.

The company will be the first to develop a 5G network in Vietnam, Dung said, in anticipation of rapid development of data services.

He said Viettel had earmarked $40 million for the development of its own 5G chipset, but was also considering using technology from Ericsson and Nokia.

The military-run firm, formally known as Viettel Group, has around 60 million subscribers in Vietnam and over 30 million users across 10 other countries – predominantly in Asia and Africa.

The company is also in talks to buy a 20 percent stake in a European mobile carrier, Dung said, without elaborating.

Dung said Viettel plans to stop expanding its investment in the African market, however, where the company has struggled to make a profit due to poor economic growth.

Closer to home, Viettel is looking to invest in North Korea, said Dung, where Koryolink—a joint venture between the North Korean state and Egypt’s Orascom Investment Holdings—has amassed millions of subscribers since its 2008 launch.

“We first sought permission from North Korea to build a mobile network there in 2010,” he said. “But we’re still waiting for sanctions to be lifted and for the country to open its market to foreign investors.”

The post Vietnam’s Viettel Seeks to Double Myanmar Customer Base—CEO appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
Posted by at No comments:

Saturday, January 5, 2019

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

AA Frees 14 Police, 4 Women Captured in Attack on Border Posts

Posted: 04 Jan 2019 11:42 PM PST

YANGON—The Arakan Army (AA) said on Saturday it had released 14 Border Police officers and four civilian women captured during coordinated attacks on four border outposts in northern Rakhine State's Buthidaung Township a day earlier.

The group said it released the captives in line with international rules on the treatment of prisoners of war.

The Ministry of Information (MOI) said yesterday that 14 policemen were killed and 9 wounded, and 40 firearms and more than 10,000 rounds of ammunition seized, when the outposts came under attack by more than 300 AA rebels in Buthidaung early on Friday morning. On Friday, the Army had initially reported that nine security personnel had been killed.

According to a ministry statement, despite the arrival of reinforcements from the No. 8 Border Police Regiment and Myanmar military (or Tatmadaw) units, personnel stationed at the outposts were unable to resist the massive AA attack and retreated to two other outposts. The entire populations of four nearby villages fled to safer locations. Authorities were trying to contact them on Saturday.

The MOI statement reads: "The AA's actions tend to complicate and destabilize the situation in Rakhine. Members of the security forces will take effective action against the AA."

The AA announced the prisoner release via its information page yesterday. It accused the Myanmar military of using excessive force, including attack helicopters and heavy artillery, and of bringing police regiments into conflict zones, in order to combat AA units in Kyauk Taw, Rathedaung and Buthidaung, as well as areas along Myanmar's borders with Bangladesh and India, for almost two months.

The armed group said: "There is almost daily fighting in the Rakhine region, and the number of internally displaced persons is mounting rapidly."

One of the border outposts attacked by AA fighters on Friday / Ministry of Home Affairs / Facebook

The military's use of the "four cuts" strategy and excessive force on the battlefield had forced it to mount the simultaneous attacks on the four border outposts in Buthidaung Township on Friday, it said. The "four cuts" policy was developed in the 1970s during the regime of the Burmese Socialist Programme Party with the intention of undermining ethnic militias by cutting off access to food, funds, information and recruitment.

The AA also accused police in Rakhine State of arbitrary arrests and imprisonment of Arakanese youth without proper reason, and of helping the military to implement the "four cuts" strategy instead of confining itself to conventional police duties despite warnings by the AA.

On Saturday, the Myanmar Army used two helicopters to retake the four border outposts from AA troops. Some residents of nearby villages were reportedly injured in the helicopter attacks on AA positions.

The AA has acknowledged that three of its fighters were killed and some injured in recent armed clashes with the Tatmadaw in northern Rakhine.

Pro-military commentators and senior military personnel took to Facebook yesterday to accuse the AA of forming in alliance with the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA). Some local publications also published the accusations, which appear to be hearsay and not based in fact.

The AA categorically denied having any allies in its frontline activities in Rakhine, saying it is implementing the Arakan National Movement, which it said was the dream of the entire Arakan nation. It said the AA is the only armed organization fighting to drive Burmese "colonists" from Rakhine.

According to local relief groups, internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the region now number about 4,500. It is believed the actual figure could be even higher, however, as some of the displaced villagers are not sheltering in designated IDP camps.

The post AA Frees 14 Police, 4 Women Captured in Attack on Border Posts appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
Posted by at No comments:

Friday, January 4, 2019

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Nine Security Personnel Killed in AA Attacks on Border Outposts: Army

Posted: 04 Jan 2019 04:04 AM PST

YANGON—At least nine security personnel including a police major were killed by the Arakan Army (AA) in a series of coordinated attacks on four border outposts in northern Rakhine State's restive Buthidaung Township early Friday morning.

Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun from the Office of the Commander in Chief confirmed the deadly attacks, following an announcement in the afternoon by the AA.

Police Major Sai Bo Han from Kyaung Taung border outpost was among those shot dead during the clashes.

The AA also announced that it had taken 14 security personnel prisoner. It said two Army helicopters had attacked its fighters and nearly struck the captive government personnel, though it did not specify the location of that attack. The ethnic armed group said it would release details of the fighting soon, including information on the helicopter attacks on its positions.

Brig-Gen. Zaw Min Tun could not confirm the number of government security personnel that had been captured by the AA, but said some are still missing in the region. He said four border outposts were attacked simultaneously by more than 100 AA troops. Government soldiers and Border Police officers had successfully restored order at all four locations by the afternoon, he said.

“About nine security personnel were killed. We are still trying to get details from the scene and will release more specific information as soon as possible," Brig-Gen. Zaw Min Tun said.

The Army official said that the four outposts were located in the ethnic Arakanese villages of Kyaung Taung, Nga Myin Taw, Ka Htee La and Kone Myint in northern Buthidaung Township. He said that the outposts are not as well defended as Border Police regimental stations, adding that on-duty officers are deployed there to provide security for "Na Ta La" villages. "Na Ta La" refers to the Development of Border Areas and National Races, a village project set up in the early 1990s under the regime of former General Than Shwe.

"Such attacks on small outposts are really bad, because they are there mainly to ensure the safety of ethnic villagers," Brig-Gen. Zaw Min Tun said.

AA spokesman U Khine Thukha earlier told The Irrawaddy that the Myanmar Army had brought ordinary and Border Police units into active conflict zones as part of its "Four Cuts" counterinsurgency strategy. The policy was developed in the 1970s during the regime of the Burmese Socialist Programme Party with the intention of undermining ethnic militias by cutting off access to food, funds, information and recruitment.

The spokesman was quoted in a local media report as saying that the AA attacked the smaller outposts because they were jointly operated by Myanmar Army and Border Police personnel. He said the Border Police were helping the military conduct heavy artillery attacks at the front in northern Rakhine. In late December, the AA delivered three letters—each containing one bullet—to a police officer, a businessman and a village administrator in Buthidaung Township warning them not to disturb AA supporters.

High-ranking military officers have denied that there is a military command present in the conflict zone in Buthidaung, but some local residents told The Irrawaddy that Light Infantry Unit 552 is currently deployed there. The unit is under the Taung Bazar-based No. 15 military command.

According to local non-profit organizations operating in the area, more than 4,000 residents of four townships in Rakhine State are currently displaced by conflict. Local relief groups are providing humanitarian assistance to the internally displaced persons, they said.

The post Nine Security Personnel Killed in AA Attacks on Border Outposts: Army appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

My Only Wish for 2019 Is…

Posted: 03 Jan 2019 08:40 PM PST

What can we expect for Myanmar in 2019? Many people no doubt have numerous hopes. Personally, I only have one, and it's not asking much—simply that 2019 turns out to be a year of stability that paves the way for free and fair elections to be held as planned in 2020.

That's it. Nothing more. That's not a big deal, is it?

In fact, it's a very big deal for a country like Myanmar, where the notion of free and fair elections was a dream until very recently.

The main reason is this: The 2020 general election will be just the second major step forward for the country's fragile democratic transition. To make sure this transition stays on the right track, it is essential that elections be held without disruption over the coming decades, no matter which party wins. Of course, every election must be free from manipulation and vote rigging.

Technically, next year's general election will be just the second in the 30 years since the 1990 elections. I do not count the 1990 election. It was not rigged—worse than that, its result was annulled by the military regime. The regime refused to honor the result after the party it backed, the National Unity Party—the successor to dictator Ne Win's socialist party—was defeated by the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) in a landslide.

Before that, one has to look back to 1960 to find the country's previous free and fair elections, which saw the re-election U Nu, who had been the first premier after the country regained its independence in 1948. The elections of 2010 were not inclusive, as they were held while then-opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was under house arrest. Her NLD decided not to take part in the elections and the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party won as expected. It was believed that the vote count was skewed by "advance votes." So we don't need to count that election either.

Thus, the general election of 2015 was the only valid one Myanmar has held in 60 years, making the upcoming vote in 2020 just the second.

Here in Myanmar, we feel confident at the moment that the election will happen next year. But who knows?

Myanmar always surprises the world—whether positively or negatively. People power toppled the authoritarian regime in 1988 and the military turned their machine guns on crowds of innocent people; the military held free and fair elections in 1990—leading the opposition to win in a landslide—and never honored the result of its own election; in 2003 Daw Aung San Suu Kyi narrowly escaped an allegedly state-sponsored attack on her motorcade in upper Myanmar; Buddhist monks took to the streets to stage the "Saffron Revolution" in 2007 and the military brutally crushed it; in 2008 Cyclone Nargis killed over 130,000 people, devastating many towns, and just days later the military went ahead with the planned referendum on its undemocratic constitution; the military handed over power to a hand-picked retired general, President U Thein Sein, in 2011 after its election the previous year, and he surprised many by opening up the country; the NLD government took office to an outpouring of national joy in 2016 after its victory in the 2015 election, only to come under attack internationally, mainly due to the Rakhine conflict in 2017—and more surprises are surely in the pipeline.

Looking back on those surprises, we can't be sure everything will go smoothly in the run-up to the 2020 elections.

Myanmar is not yet a democracy, but it is still crawling its way toward it, encountering resistance both visible and invisible, and from both formal and informal obstacles, including some prescribed by the existing Constitution. The peace process prioritized by the NLD-led government has all but stalled. Rakhine State in western Myanmar seems increasingly unstable in the face of a more aggressive military strategy deployed by the Arakan Army. There are many issues—seen and unseen—likely to be instigated by religious radicals that could destabilize the political situation in Myanmar.

All over the world, core elements of democracy are being challenged, not only in the United States and Western Europe, but also in Eastern Europe and Asia, in countries like Turkey and Venezuela, but even in Sweden and India. Illiberal ideologies are spreading.

However, democracy has a way of persevering; that much is true. But there is one essential condition for this to happen—it must be entrenched through the regular holding of free and fair elections.

Myanmar missed that opportunity in the post-independence era from 1948 to 1958 under Premier U Nu's leadership. His government failed to entrench democracy or its fundamental prerequisite—elections—though it held three general elections in 1951-1952, 1956 and 1960. But those three elections didn't become a political tradition in the country due to the civil war and the rise of militarism. Finally, this failure to entrench democracy led to the military coup of 1962.

Six decades later, the country must not let it happen again. If we face a similar situation again—not only in 2019, but also in the coming decades—our journey to democracy will be derailed again, as it was under U Nu's government.

Looking at the United States today, we see there has been no disruption to its election cycle or its basic democratic system; elections there have become an entrenched political tradition, along with strong institutions and the U.S. Constitution. Thus, even though it is currently led by an illiberal president like Donald Trump, voters get a chance to reconsider their leader once every four years. Regular free and fair elections are politically essential as a fundamental principle or prerequisite for democracy.

Looking at Thailand, we can say democracy is not yet entrenched there, as it has still not become a tradition in the country. Its military can always return to seize power by force and disrupt or postpone elections as long as it wants. In Cambodia, elections are consistently rigged or manipulated by its leader Hun Sen. Such a democracy is just a sham.

Such scenarios are not what Myanmar—or any democracy—needs.

To hold a free and fair election once every five years in Myanmar is more important than anything else when it comes to maintaining its fledgling democratic transition after five decades of military rule. Even if the incumbent government can't succeed in its main task of amending the 2008 Constitution (and this appears unlikely), the country will go on to hold free and fair elections in 2020. Consistently holding elections is a way of planting the roots of genuine democracy in the country.

But ensuring that this occurs is the responsibility of all defenders of democracy, from all walks of life. To that end, we need to maintain a general political stability, and avoid emergency situations that could invite disruptions from the enemies of democracy.

Kyaw Zwa Moe is the Editor of the English edition of The Irrawaddy.

The post My Only Wish for 2019 Is… appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
Posted by at No comments:

Thursday, January 3, 2019

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

KNU Urges All Karen to Participate in Political Process in New Year Message

Posted: 03 Jan 2019 05:26 AM PST

The Karen National Union (KNU), the main Karen armed organization, has urged all members of the ethnic group to participate in the political process to help secure their rights.

The KNU issued a statement ahead of the upcoming Karen New Year. Marked on Jan. 6, it is a public holiday in Myanmar. The statement said the Karen New Year was an occasion for ethnic Karen to show their spirit, identity, culture and customs. It was also a day on which to show to the world that the Karen community is unified. "May you all have peace, happiness and enjoy our Karen New Year," it said.

Unlike the Karen New Year, other ethnic groups' national days are not public holidays. The statement said the holiday represented an opportunity to mark past Karen leaders' struggles on behalf of the community. It urged all Karen to learn their history, analyze and participate in politics, and make the most of political opportunities as they arise.

"We want to send a message to our people that we need to take control our own fate [by securing political and ethnic rights]. We have to fight either politically or militarily for our rights. We should show unity and fight together," KNU vice chairman Padoh Kwe Htoo Win said.

"We can't leave our fate in the hands of others," he added, referring to the Myanmar Army and government.

Political developments ebb and flow, but the KNU will continue to support the Karen people's efforts to reach their goal of achieving full ethnic rights, he said.

The KNU has suspended its participation in peace negotiations with the government. However, it has said it would continue to hold informal meetings with the government, which it sees as the best way to negotiate its disagreements with the government over the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA). Through informal meetings, the KNU wants to get peace negotiations back on the right track, it said in the statement.

It said the current peace process under the NCA has strayed from the road of building democracy and a federal system based on equal rights, as expected by the Karen people. This was why the KNU had suspended its participation in formal meetings with the government, it added in the statement.

The KNU said a rift had opened between it and the government regarding the NCA.

"We should be seeking answers through political dialogue to lay down core principles needed for establishing democracy and federalism. We have spoken out because we still lack the conditions needed for political dialogue," Padoh Kwe Htoo Win said.

The post KNU Urges All Karen to Participate in Political Process in New Year Message appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Analysis: Kowtowing to the ‘Prince of Evil’

Posted: 03 Jan 2019 04:12 AM PST

YANGON—Yangon Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein never seems to lack for ways to surprise people. He is constantly leaving observers wondering at his actions. He once said, to the ire of the military, that according to state protocol Myanmar's powerful armed forces leader was no higher than a department director-general. Last year he honored a Malaysian fraudster with a certificate after the man made a donation to the Yangon government to assist its social work. And he remained silent when Yangon lawmakers questioned his government's use of portions of the city's budget for certain projects without the parliament's knowledge.

On Saturday, he sprang his latest surprise. But this time it was simply embarrassing. U Phyo Min Thein paid his respects to the former military spy chief, retired General Khin Nyunt, along with other senior writers at an annual Myanmar Writers Association event. Organizers said the former general was invited as he has written nine books (including his memoirs, which were mainly an exercise in self-justification regarding his actions during his time as spy chief and prime minister), and because he is now 79 years old.

The Yangon chief minister has paid a price for his actions. When pictures of the event went viral he faced an online backlash, mostly from literary and political circles, for kowtowing to someone who was known as the "Prince of Evil" for his brutality as Military Intelligence (MI) chief against students and activists involved in the country's democracy movement. Interestingly, he was one of those behind the chief minister's 15-year prison term for his political activism.

Ko Min Ko Naing, a prominent former student leader and a key figure in the '88 Uprising, posted a short message on his Facebook page: "Never turn a murderer into someone respectful." While the note didn't mention any names, it was very clear to Myanmar people who the "murderer" in the message is.

National League for Democracy lawmaker Daw Zin Mar Aung wrote on her Facebook page that the chief minister's action did nothing to help the national reconciliation the NLD has long advocated. Before coming to power, the Daw Aung San Suu Kyi-led NLD openly announced that it wouldn't hold grudges against anyone in the former military regime despite their involvement in the arrest, ill treatment and torture of political prisoners. Under the regime, from 1988 to 2010, the NLD was the most oppressed political party in the country.

Daw Zin Mar Aung said she might be able to understand if the chief minister had somehow forgotten the scars on his back, the blows to his chin, the rolling of iron bars on his shins—all of which he sustained during his interrogations like other political prisoners during his arrest and imprisonment—while he was kowtowing to the former spy chief.

"But you [U Phyo Min Thein] should be ashamed to [disgrace] the NLD jacket and the party badge you were wearing," she said, referring to the jacket—colored in the NLD's light-orange shade—and the party logo he bore on his breast on the day.

'To Whom Should I Apologize?'

Gen. Khin Nyunt is said to have been among the key government players in a military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in 1988 that led to the deaths of thousands of people. When the military staged a coup in September 1988, he was the third most powerful person in the regime and the head of its intelligence unit—a military apparatus mainly responsible for the oppression of political dissidents. He held this position until his purge from the regime in 2004. He was given a 44-year prison sentence but this was later commuted to house arrest. He was freed in an amnesty in 2011.

According to Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Myanmar), nearly 200 people died in torture chambers during MI interrogations and prisons due to ill treatment during the former military regime. Every former political prisoner who was fortunate enough to emerge from prison alive can tell you of their experience of at least one of the following: It was MI officers who raided activists' homes, mostly in the middle of the night to avoid the attention of neighbors, to make arrests. Gen. Khin Nyunt's subordinates held the fate of political prisoners in their hands, deciding whether they should be sent to hospitals for emergency treatment when they were seriously ill. During interrogation sessions, his staff used every torture method you could name—sleep deprivation was universal—while barking at the victim, "You know what? You can't establish a country without a military and prostitutes!" Even in court, if you were assertive or made complaints about the verdict, an MI officer would summon the judge to a backroom meeting and order him or her to increase the prison term by a few years. Upon their release, former political prisoners rarely escaped the MI's watchful eyes in their daily lives.

Gen. Khin Nyunt himself regarded political prisoners as criminals and lawbreakers. In his eyes, then democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was "untrustworthy" because she was married to a foreigner.

"Let's say if she becomes prime minister or president, she would share state secrets or [proceedings of] cabinet meetings with her husband in bed," he told senior military officials during a lecture at the National Defense College in 1993, according to a leaked transcript of the lecture. Throughout the talk, he didn't mention Daw Aung San Suu Kyi by name, referring to her simply as "that woman".

During interviews after his release, the former spy chief used to say that he had simply been following orders from above, referring to Senior General Than Shwe and Vice Senior General Maung Aye, the first and second supremos of the junta. Given his powerful roles and responsibilities—ranging from head of Military Intelligence to striking peace deals with ethnic armed groups to opening multimedia classrooms in high schools and deciding who should get Myanmar's equivalent of the Oscars each year—many people saw his defense as feeble. When former political prisoners called for him to admit his and his subordinates' wrongdoings, he retorted, "To whom should I apologize?"

However, in his self-promoting 2015 memoir "Lives I Have Been Through", he offered vague words of contrition to some people and their families, conceding that some mistakes may have been made, albeit with the best of intentions and in the interests of the state and the wellbeing of his fellow citizens.

The term "political prisoner", however, rarely appears in the 657-page volume.

'No Grudge, No Retaliation'

Undeterred by the criticism, U Phyo Min Thein told the media on Sunday that he would try to be forgiving, adding that there would be no grudges held and no retaliation against the man who once put him behind bars for 15 years.

"Currently, I am a chief minister and U Khin Nyunt is an ordinary citizen. Retaliation is not necessary [for me]. I want to urge [people] to have loving kindness toward every one and to keep striving for reform," he said.

But the chief minister misses the point. Long before his claims on Sunday, many former political prisoners said they would not hold grudges toward those who mistreated them, saying, "We can forgive, but not forget." What has upset these people is the manner in which U Phyo Min Thein paid his respects to the former spy chief—his actions constituted the highest form of respect that one can pay as a Myanmar Buddhist, and were no different from the greeting you would offer a monk.

Ko Mya Aye, an '88 Students Generation leader and former political prisoner, said the chief minister's actions were wrong, adding that he was saddened to see his fellow democracy activist kowtowing to the man who was once in charge of the MI.

"No one has been calling for retaliation against him [U Khin Nyunt]. I don't hate him personally, but the fact can't be denied that he used to run a bad system that ruined the whole country," he said.

 

The post Analysis: Kowtowing to the 'Prince of Evil' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Yangon Timeout

Posted: 03 Jan 2019 02:43 AM PST

Pure Gold Upcycling and Design Exhibition

This exhibition showcases rubbish transformed into useful, sometimes even beautiful, objects. Visitors can try their own hand at transforming waste "into gold" at several do-it-yourself counters.

Through Jan. 6 | Secretariat Building | Kyauktada Township | Free admission.

Icons of Courage

A photography exhibition about the traditional leg tattoos of men in Karen State by German photographer Jens Uwe Parkitny.

Through Jan. 10 | Goethe-Institute Myanmar | Corner of Kabar Aye Pagoda Road and Nat Mauk Street, Bahan Township

Balance Fashion Night

With a dress code of "dress like you're a model," Balance Fitness' annual party will feature funky beats, food, drink and a lucky draw.

Friday Jan. 4 | 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. | Tipsy | No. 138 C, New University Avenue Road, Bahan Township

Made in Myanmar Exhibition

This exhibition aims spread awareness to purchase local products that are made in Myanmar.

Jan. 4-6 | 11 a.m. to late | Hmawsinkyun, Kandawgyi Gardens, Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township

Carnival at the Zoo

A three-day family-oriented festival will take place at Yangon Zoo and will feature games, magic and music, food and fun and more entertainment.

Jan. 4-6 | 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Yangon Zoo | Kan Yeiktha Road, Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township

Yangon Zay

With a new sustainable theme launching in 2019, this market event has food, fashion, homeware and drinks on offer with music and kids' activities for entertainment.

Jan. 5-6 | 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. | The Tea Factory | No.2 Kanyeiktha Road off Kabar Aye Pagoda Road, Mayangone Township | Entry 6,000 kyats (under 12s free)

SamRaz Live Music

SamRaz, a traveling band which plays folk and jazz of Latin American and Middle Eastern variety, will play at Atlas Rooftop this Saturday.

Saturday Jan. 5 | 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. | Atlas Rooftop Bar & Lounge | No. 84, Pan Hlaing Road, Sanchaung Township

Mi Kar Ma Tha (Nominal)

Five up-and-coming artists feature their art for just three days. Participating artists are Zin Min Hlaing, Myo Min Thein, Zar Ni, Kyaw Thu Win and Aung.

Jan. 5-7 | 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Gallery 65 | No. 65, Yaw Min Gyi Road, Dagon Township

Mundo Lingo

This popular language exchange event takes place weekly with a sticker system using flags to tell others which language you speak and want to practice.

Tuesday Jan. 8 | 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. | 50th Street Bar & Grill | 9/13 50th Street, Botahtaung Township

The post Yangon Timeout appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

AA Gathering Evidence of Tatmadaw’s Human Rights Abuses

Posted: 03 Jan 2019 02:32 AM PST

YANGON—Arakan Army (AA) spokesperson U Khine Thukha told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday that the group is gathering evidence of human rights abuses committed by Tatmadaw (Myanmar military) soldiers and violations of the Geneva Convention during the ongoing skirmishes in northern Rakhine State and Chin State’s Paletwa Township.

The AA spokesperson pointed out that Tatmadaw columns are stationed in Buthidaung Township’s Say Taung Village, camped in a Buddhist monastery situated in an actively contested area in northern Rakhine. According to him, Tatmadaw soldiers are carrying out arbitrary arrests of civilians, are shelling artillery into the village and they have used villagers as human shields in the battlefields.

The AA's online information page announced on Tuesday that they have already collected some evidence connecting the Tatmadaw soldiers with human rights violations and they will submit it to the international organizations. It also urges locals and civil society groups to file complaints with the AA if the Tatmadaw soldiers target civilians in the conflict zone.

On Jan. 1, a police force information Facebook page, Ye Zarni, posted information stating that while unit No. 8 of the border police and a military column were temporarily stationed in a monastery in Say Taung, Buthidaung Township, they were ambushed by 30 AA rebels and one police officer was seriously injured in the chest. After 10 minutes on fighting, the AA rebels retreated and the Tatmadaw column went after them. According to the police information page, no villagers were wounded in the fight.

The post did not elaborate on whether AA fighters fired into the village or the fighting took place at the outskirts of the village.

AA spokesperson U Khine Thukha explained that the fighting had, in fact, erupted in an area between Kan Pyin and Say Taung villages. Say Taung resident U Maung Tun Lin confirmed that fighting broke out near his village and some bullets struck the homes of villagers. According to his explanation, the monastery is situated on a hilltop which is close to a densely forested area with the village located the foot of the hill.

Ma Nwe Ni Win, a resident of Say Taung village, said bullets had struck her home during Tuesday's fighting and that a bullet head was found inside her friend's house. No villagers were wounded during the fighting.

“I saw some holes in my house when I get back home. No one was killed because everyone had already fled to a hillside when we heard gunfire,” said Ma Nwe Ni Win.

The AA spokesperson said, “Whenever the Burmese military come into the village, they always station [themselves] at monasteries and schools. In fact, international laws strictly prohibit an army from encamping in such public places and religious buildings.”

U Khine Thukha accused the Tatmadaw of deliberately firing into Kan Pyin Village during Tuesday's clashes which caused the entire population on Kan Pyin Village to flee to neighboring villages. He said that around 20 heavy artillery shells, fired by the police and government troops stationed in Kun Taung, landed in Say Taung. Similarly, in separate battles in on Wednesday in Kyauktaw Township and Paletwa Township over the Chin State border, Tatmadaw units launched missiles towards the villages. AA information, based on firsthand accounts of displaced locals, says that some locals from Paletwa's Adaung Wa Village were killed by howitzer shells on Wednesday. He urged for the international human rights organizations to look into the alleged crimes against the Rakhine community on the ground.

“They intentionally target civilians. It could even be said to be racially targeting the Rakhine. So my question is, what if there were Burmese villages in the conflict zone? Would they also fire shots in that way? Deliberately targeting civilians is obviously indicating the fact that, despite repeatedly citing union spirit, their actions show a lack of union spirit.”

As the AA and police information pages issue updates, both sides remain silent on causality numbers. Some locals claim that dozens of Tatmadaw soldiers were killed in recent clashes. When The Irrawaddy phoned a brigadier general from the military's commander-in-chief's office for clarification on Wednesday, he declined to comment on the matter and denied the allegations of abuses over the phone.

“As is the nature of fighting, there will surely be casualties. I cannot provide details,” said the brigadier general.

Video footage which was captured by a resident of Sin Khone Taing, a Rohingya village close to Yae Gaung Chaung and Say Taung villages, includes commentary in the Rohingya language describing the Tatmadaw troops passing through their village. Translations of the commentary says the military column briefly came into Sin Khone Taing village carrying five wounded soldiers.

The video was posted to Facebook on Tuesday on the profile named Sayad Hussin alongside text stating that the soldiers said they were hungry and requested food from the Rohingya villagers. It says the military soldiers admitted that some of their troops were killed during the fighting.

Last December, the Tatmadaw's commander-in-chief Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing promised members of the Myanmar Press Council that he will ask border affairs ministers to be more open with the media. Despite this, when The Irrawaddy attempted multiple times to contact Col. Phone Tint, the Rakhine State border affairs minister, he did not answer calls. In addition, Western Command’s Col. Win Zaw Oo's phone was switched off during repeated attempts by The Irrawaddy to contact him.

The AA has said they have no plans to reveal the number of government military causalities in order not to defend the massive offensives of the army. He declined to provide the number of government battalions and light infantries that the AA has been facing in northern Rakhine since the end of monsoon season.

“Although I cannot say the number of battalions, I’m pretty sure that they have halted operations in northern Shan recently in order to pour [more troops] into northern Rakhine. Surprisingly, they are also bringing ordinary police and border police into the battlefield for security reasons. This is an attempt to complicate the situation.” said U Khine Thukha.

Based on updates from the AA, The Irrawaddy has learned that the conflict zone is broadening, as AA and government troops continue to fight in at least five townships—Rathedaung, Buthidaung, Kyauktaw, Ponnagyun and Chin State’s Paletwa. The AA updates have made no mention of the mine attack on Rakhine State's chief minister's convoy on the Yangon-Sittwe highway in Mrauk U Township on Tuesday.

According to local non-profit organizations, more than 4,000 people in four townships are currently displaced and local relief groups are giving humanitarian assistance to the IDPs (internally displaced persons). Some members of relief groups operating in Paletwa Township told The Irrawaddy that military officers are not allowing aid in the form of rice bags into the area.

The post AA Gathering Evidence of Tatmadaw's Human Rights Abuses appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Fruit Growers’ Losses Mount Due to Muse Border Checkpoint Closure

Posted: 03 Jan 2019 01:37 AM PST

MANDALAY—Myanmar melon exporters are suffering serious losses following authorities' closure of a key border gate for fruit exports at the Mile 105 Muse border trade zone on the Myanmar-China border, traders told The Irrawaddy.

According to the Muse-based border traders, the Myanmar Army (or Tatmadaw) closed the Jin San Jiao Gate on the evening of Dec. 26 for security reasons.

Border traders and growers have sent a letter to authorities asking about the closure, but have had no response after one week, Ko Sai Min Thu Naing, director of the Kwa Nyo fruit brokerage in Muse, told The Irrawaddy.

"So far, we have not seen the government releasing a formal statement regarding this. We have sent a letter of request [for information] to the Commerce Ministry. But there has been no response," U Ko Sai Min Thu Naing said.

The Irrawaddy was unable to contact the Commerce Ministry for comment about the gate closure.

Demand for melons and cantaloupes is currently at its peak level, and melon growers in Shan State are worried as their next harvest is due in February.

Over 1,000 trucks loaded with melons and cantaloupes transported to Muse from various parts of the country have been stranded on the Myanmar side since Dec. 27 following the closure of the gate.

Fruit trucks have been using the Pansai gate, which Chinese authorities re-opened on Dec. 28. However, the 10-mile road from Muse to the Pansai gate is just 8 feet wide, and is not suitable for 12-wheeled trucks.

Previously, around 500 trucks ferrying watermelons and cantaloupes traded at the Jin San Jiao gate daily. But the number has declined to around 200 now, as Chinese officials take longer to inspect Myanmar's exports, Mandalay-Muse cargo transporters said.

"The government should in fact facilitate the smooth operation of such gates, which are important for the national economy. But it has been shut down and authorities have not explained the reason," fleet manager U Zaw Myint Oo of Saw Yan Naing Mandalay-Muse cargo transport company told The Irrawaddy.

Due to the delays caused by traffic congestion at the border gate, growers' losses are mounting.

"I feel like the government has ignored growers, though Myanmar's economy is said to be based on agriculture. The government loses taxes and our losses increase daily," said Ko Sai Min Thu Naing of Kwa Nyo fruit brokerage in Muse.

A fully loaded 12-wheeled truck of watermelons fetches around 7 million kyats, and the same amount of cantaloupe fetches over 10 million kyats at present market rates. Merchants complain that up to 75 percent of the fruit has spoiled due to the delays at the gate.

"The losses will only increase as time goes by. Some growers have taken loans from lenders to grow melons. They are having trouble repaying their loans. The growers have to shoulder the consequences alone," melon grower Ko Khaing Zaw of Mandalay's TadaU Township told The Irrawaddy.

The post Fruit Growers' Losses Mount Due to Muse Border Checkpoint Closure appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

GAD Chief Appointed Deputy Union Gov’t Office Minister

Posted: 03 Jan 2019 01:27 AM PST

YANGON—A senior Home Affairs Ministry official who served as director general of the General Administration Department (GAD) was appointed as deputy minister for the Ministry of the Office of the Union Government on Wednesday, as part of the process of transferring authority over the formerly military-run department to the government.

The move comes one week after the GAD was officially transferred to the civilian-controlled Ministry of the Office of the Union Government, one of the major reforms implemented by the National League for Democracy-led government in its two-and-a-half years in office.

New Deputy Minister U Tin Myint, who has been promoted from his position as permanent secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA), is a former captain in the Myanmar Armed Forces. He has held several positions in the GAD.

The department was formerly overseen by MOHA. Under the 2008 Constitution, the ministry is one of the three led by major-generals appointed by the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

U Tin Myint, the new deputy minister for the Office of the Union Government / Screenshot from GAD video

For more than 30 years, the GAD has formed the backbone of Myanmar's public administration. Under the 2008 Constitution it serves as the primary link between the national and lower levels of government, and has direct control of district and township authorities, the country's key administrative institutions.

The GAD is authorized to support government security efforts like imposing bans on any activities that threaten the rule of law and stability, and to sue a person who commits arms-related crimes while reporting relevant information back to Naypyitaw. Its duties also include reporting on population movements, security incidents and basic demographic data. Moreover, the GAD has the power to enforce some civil laws.

The Ministry of the Office of the Union Government was created by the current administration. In November, a former Air Force pilot, retired Colonel U Min Thu, was appointed as its minister.

The post GAD Chief Appointed Deputy Union Gov't Office Minister appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Villagers Forced to Flee During Ceasefire Period

Posted: 02 Jan 2019 11:46 PM PST

YANGON—Over 300 locals from four villages in Namtu Township, northern Shan State are taking refuge at the nearby village of Mansan due to the interethnic fighting between armed groups based in the area this week.

Amid fighting which has been taking place some 16 kilometers (10 miles) away from Namtu since Dec. 31, 316 people fled to Mansan Village on Jan. 1 and 2 and they are now taking shelter at the monastery, said U Khin Maung Kyi, Mansan's village administrator.

The fighting broke out between troops of Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army South (RCSS/SSAS) and the combined forces of Shan State Progressive Party/ Shan State Army North (SSPP/SSAN) and Ta'ang Nationalities Liberation Army (TNLA), according to the local residents.

Shan State is one of the regions covered by the Myanmar Army's four-month truce announced Dec. 22, but the residents of villages in Namtu Township are unable to enjoy safety or peace during the ceasefire period. For the past few years, they have frequently had to flee from their homes while clashes took place near their villages, returning only after the troops left.

The people lack security and protection as always, said Nang Kham Aye, the Lower House lawmaker representing Namtu Township.

"I got calls from the people of Manwah Village where the fighting was happening on Wednesday, and they said they were hiding in their own bunkers. They have not yet arrived to a safe place," she told The Irrawaddy.

Villagers from a number of other villages where a few dozen locals live in Namtu Township have not yet left their homes.

RCSS spokesman Sai Meng said the brief skirmish between their troops and the alliance troops in the area did not cause any casualties.

The post Villagers Forced to Flee During Ceasefire Period appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Myanmar Opens Up to Foreign Insurance Companies

Posted: 02 Jan 2019 11:42 PM PST

YANGON— The Ministry of Planning and Finance (MOPF) announced on Wednesday that they are ready to grant permission to foreign companies wishing to operate businesses offering life and non-life insurance in Myanmar.

The move comes amid efforts to "accumulate the investment needed for the country's economic development, and to develop the non-banking financial sector," according to the official statement released by the ministry.

The ministry said it is now inviting expressions of interest and request for proposals from companies looking to operate here which will be assessed by Myanmar's Financial Regulatory Department.

The MOPF has specified that insurance companies must fall into one of two categories—life insurance and non-life insurance entities.

The ministry will allow up to three fully foreign-owned life insurance companies to operate here while life insurance companies with representative offices here are being encouraged to partner with local life insurers.

Meanwhile, only companies offering non-life insurance with representative offices in Myanmar may partner with local insurance companies. No fully foreign-owned non-life insurers will be granted permission to operate in Myanmar.

"The local composite insurers have been mandated by the MOPF to operate as separate life insurance and non-life insurance entities paving the way for foreign entities to associate or partner with local insurers as applicable," the statement says.

In 2013, the government granted 11 licenses to local insurance companies in a bid to develop the sector in Myanmar.

The post Myanmar Opens Up to Foreign Insurance Companies appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Road Toll on ‘Death Highway’ Drops in 2018

Posted: 02 Jan 2019 11:42 PM PST

NAYPYITAW—A total of 103 people were killed on the Yangon-Mandalay Highway last year, Highway Police said.

Speeding remained the main cause of road accidents. Along with the 103 people killed, 877 were injured in 473 traffic accidents last year.

Tire blowouts were another major cause of fatal road accidents, police said.

The numbers of accidents and casualties declined from 2017, when 116 people died and 863 were injured in 555 road accidents. In 2016, 774 road accidents killed 170 people and injured 1,304.

The majority of accidents last year involved private vehicles, most of them light trucks, police said.

Since June 1 last year, drivers and passengers of private vehicles and express buses have been required to wear seatbelts while driving on the highway.

Highway Police impose a fine of 50,000 kyats on drivers caught speeding, while people who fail to wear seatbelts are fined 30,000 kyats. Last year, police pulled over more than 1,000 vehicles due to occupants' failure to wear seatbelts.

The number of road accidents has declined since police began enforcing speed limits and seatbelt laws, said lawmaker U Than Soe Aung, a member of the Lower House Transportation, Communication and Construction Committee.

"It is called a highway, but it's still an ordinary road. There is a need to improve the road signage and surface," he told The Irrawaddy.

Every day, more than 20,000 vehicles use the some 400-mile highway, which sees around seven road accidents a day, according to police.

"Road signs have improved lately," said road user U Win Zaw Oo. "And the presence of police patrols make me feel safe should I have a flat tire while driving late at night. But there is a need to brighten the yellow lines [separating lanes] for late-night driving."

The highway, which connects commercial hub Yangon with the country's administrative capital Naypyitaw and second-largest city Mandalay, came into service in 2009. It has been dubbed the "death highway" by local road users due to the high number of accidents.

The post Road Toll on 'Death Highway' Drops in 2018 appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Protests in India After Women Defy Ancient Ban on Visiting Hindu Temple

Posted: 02 Jan 2019 11:40 PM PST

KOCHI/NEW DELHI—Two women defied a centuries-old ban on entering a Hindu temple in the Indian state of Kerala on Wednesday, sparking protests and calls for a strike by conservative Hindu groups outraged by their visit.

Police fired teargas and used water cannons to disperse a large crowd of protesters in the state capital of Thiruvananthapuram, television news channels showed.

There were protests in several other cities in the state, media reported.

India’s Supreme Court in September ordered the lifting of the ban on women or girls of menstruating age from entering the Sabarimala temple, which draws millions of worshippers a year.

But the temple refused to abide by the ruling and subsequent attempts by women to visit it had been blocked by thousands of devotees.

The Kerala state government is run by left-wing parties and it has sought to allow women into the temple–a position that has drawn the criticism of both of India’s main political parties, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The uproar has put the issue of religion, which can be highly contentious in India, squarely on the political agenda months before a general election, which is due by May.

The possibility of more confrontations was raised by a call from an umbrella group of right-wing Hindu groups in Kerala, the Sabarimala Karma Samithi, which is supported by the BJP, for a state-wide protest strike on Thursday.

The BJP called for protesters to be peaceful.

Communists blamed

Earlier, the Kerala state president of the BJP described the women’s visit as “a conspiracy by the atheist rulers to destroy the Hindu temples.”

The party’s state president, P.S. Sreedharan Pillai, told TV channels the BJP would “support the struggles against the destruction of faith by the Communists.”

“Let all the devotees come forward and protest this,” he said.

Officials from the main opposition Congress party in the state, in a rare alignment with their main rival for power at the national level, the BJP, also called for protests.

“This is treachery … The government will have to pay the price for the violation of the custom,” K. Sudhakaran, vice-president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee, said in a statement.

Conservative Hindu groups say they believe women of menstruating age would defile the temple’s inner shrine. The ban was imposed on all females between the ages of 10 and 50.

News channels reported the chief priest briefly shut the temple for “purification” rituals after the women visited.

Later, media reported it had re-opened.

The two women, identified by police as Bindu Ammini, 42, and Kanaka Durga, 44, had tried to go in on Dec. 24, and later approached police for help, an officer said.

“There was an elaborate arrangement for them to come just after the temple was opened early morning,” said the officer, who declined to be identified fearing reprisals from protesters.

“The darkness gave them, and us, cover.”

Police were guarding the homes of the women after they left the temple and were prepared to let more women enter the temple, he said.

Wall of women

A video from a police official posted online by ANI showed two women in the temple with their heads covered.

Ammini told a television channel about their stealthy trek to the temple in the middle of the night.

"We reached Pampa, the main entry point to the temple at 1.30 a.m. and sought police protection … We walked two hours, entered the temple around 3.30 a.m. and did the darshan,” the woman said, referring to a ritual of standing in front of the temple’s Hindu image.

The state government defended its decision to protect the women as they went into the temple, saying it was a matter of civil rights.

“I had earlier made it clear that the government will provide protection if any women come forward to enter the temple,” said Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Vijayan told a news conference the women faced no obstruction on Wednesday. It was not immediately clear how they managed to avoid devotees guarding the temple.

On Tuesday, the state government backed a protest by thousands of women, who formed a 620 kilometer (385 mile) human chain, termed the “women’s wall,” in support of “gender equality” and access to the temple.

Modi, in an interview with ANI on Tuesday, indicated he felt that the temple issue was more about a religious tradition than gender equality.

Modi said there were temples where men were barred from entering.

The post Protests in India After Women Defy Ancient Ban on Visiting Hindu Temple appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

No Rest for the Dead: Singapore Digs Up Graves for Highways

Posted: 02 Jan 2019 08:34 PM PST

SINGAPORE—When Singapore’s government said it would exhume about 4,000 graves in the defunct Bukit Brown cemetery for an eight-lane highway, an unusually vocal campaign grew quickly to save one of the last remaining artefacts of the past in the modern city.

The cemetery, a rare patch of jungle surrounded by manicured gardens and high rises, has about 100,000 graves, including hundreds of early Chinese immigrants. It is also considered an important relic of the Japanese occupation and World War Two.

Although the cemetery closed for burials nearly 50 years ago, descendants still visit their ancestors’ graves. But that ritual will soon end, as Bukit Brown is scheduled to be cleared for housing by 2030.

“This is a living museum,” said Darren Koh, a volunteer with advocacy group All Things Bukit Brown, which has offered guided walks in the cemetery since 2011, when the exhumations were announced.

“We lost a lot of history and heritage in the other cemeteries that were cleared, so we were galvanized into action to save Bukit Brown,” he said, fighting to be heard above the roar of traffic and construction on the new highway.

With some 5.6 million people in an area three-fifths the size of New York City—and with the population estimated to grow to 6.9 million by 2030—Singapore is running out of space.

The island nation has long reclaimed land from the sea, and plans to move more of its transport, utilities and storage underground to free up space for housing, offices and greenery.

It has also cleared dozens of cemeteries for homes and highways.

“Planning for long-term land use in land-scarce Singapore often requires us to make difficult decisions,” the city’s Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a statement.

Bukit Brown has been earmarked for residential use since 1991, and while the government is committed to “retaining and protecting our natural and built heritage, we need to also balance it against other needs such as housing,” officials said.

Tomb sweeping

The Chinese have traditionally believed that the dead must be buried, and that without a proper burial the soul will not rest, but will wander about as a “hungry ghost.”

But the burial practice has changed in increasingly crowded cities from Hong Kong to Taiwan to China.

Traditional grave burials gave way to cremation, and the use of columbaria to store urns with ashes. As even columbaria became crowded, city authorities encouraged people to disperse the ashes in the sea, woodlands or parklands.

“The conception of cemeteries as space-wasting activity takes precedence over the idea of cemeteries as sites of leisurely activity,” said Lily Kong, a geographer previously at the National University of Singapore.

“To depart from the practice of grave burial requires a significant cultural shift. In many ways, it may be said that this shift has been made,” she wrote in a 2012 paper on burial rituals.

Singapore in 1998 announced a 15-year burial period, after which bodies are dug up and cremated or interred in smaller plots.

Hong Kong—where even the columbaria are running out of space—has a six-year limit. Taiwan has similar limits, and has long encouraged cremations and eco-burials.

In China, authorities said in 2014 they were targeting a cremation rate of close to 100 percent by the end of 2020.

They also encourage online memorialization, where family members can set up a website for the deceased, and make virtual offerings of flowers, incense and wine, including during the annual Qing Ming “tomb sweeping” festival.

That is when families clean the tombs, bring offerings of food and drink, and burn joss sticks and paper money to give their ancestors a comfortable afterlife.

Following the announcement of the exhumations of 4,153 graves in Bukit Brown, Singaporeans rallied on social media, and showed up in the hundreds for walks in the cemetery.

The cemetery, dotted with headstones bearing fading Chinese inscriptions among the raintrees and thick undergrowth, was added to World Monuments Watch, which lists heritage sites under threat—a first for a Singapore landmark.

The United Nations Special Rapporteur for cultural rights wrote to the government, asking it to preserve Bukit Brown’s “remarkable natural, cultural and historical value.”

But to no avail. The graves were exhumed, and the first section of the new Lornie Highway opened in late October.

“We shouldn’t always have to choose between heritage and development,” said Claire Leow, who also volunteers at All Things Bukit Brown, citing old hawker centers and other landmarks that have disappeared.

“More people are choosing to be cremated; it’s all the more reason to preserve Bukit Brown as a public space for all,” she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Unmarked

Much of Singapore is built on old graveyards, including Orchard Road, the city’s main shopping belt.

The Bidadari cemetery was cleared of more than 100,000 Christian and Muslim graves for a new housing estate, while Choa Chu Kang—Singapore’s biggest and only active cemetery—will be cleared of more than 80,000 graves for an expanded air base.

At Bukit Brown, the graves were exhumed individually and the remains cremated. The ashes were put in urns that were placed in a columbarium.

But authorities first consulted with clan members and historians to agree on a way to document the graves.

“Without such documentation and research, it is difficult to assess the heritage value that is at stake, and make informed decisions,” said Hui Yew-Foong, a fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, who led the effort.

“And if the government does make the decision to clear the cemeteries, at least a good record is made for posterity.”

More than two-thirds of the exhumed graves were not claimed because relatives had died or forgotten, Leow said.

But others are still claimed.

One such grave “stood unmarked and forgotten” for six decades before being identified.

“Finally, I can place a name to the grave that is my grandfather’s and be a dutiful grandson,” Norman Cho, a 40-year-old Singaporean, wrote in a blog on All Things Bukit Brown.

It is these moments that give Leow hope.

“Cemeteries should not be seen as a waste of space, but as a part of our history and culture,” she said.

“In losing them, we lose little bits of ourselves.”

The post No Rest for the Dead: Singapore Digs Up Graves for Highways appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

China’s Xi Threatens Taiwan with Force but Also Seeks Peaceful ‘Reunification’

Posted: 02 Jan 2019 08:15 PM PST

BEIJING/TAIPEI—China reserves the right to use force to bring Taiwan under its control but will strive to achieve peaceful “reunification” with the self-ruled island that has a bright future under any future Chinese rule, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday.

Taiwan is China’s most sensitive issue and is claimed by Beijing as its sacred territory. Xi has stepped up pressure on the democratic island since Tsai Ing-wen from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party became president in 2016.

Tsai rejected Xi’s call and instead urged China to embrace democracy.

Xi has set great personal store in resolving what the Communist Party calls the “Taiwan issue,” holding a landmark meeting with Taiwan's then-president Ma Ying-jeou in Singapore in late 2015, just before Tsai was elected.

Xi spoke at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People on the 40th anniversary of a landmark Taiwan policy statement.

He said “reunification” must come under a one-China principle that accepts Taiwan as part of China, anathema to supporters of Taiwan independence, adding that the “one country, two systems” model of autonomy, with which China governs Hong Kong, was the best way for Taiwan.

China translates the word “tong yi” as “reunification,” but it can also be translated as “unification,” a term in English preferred by supporters of Taiwan independence who point out the Communist government has never ruled Taiwan and so it cannot be “reunified.”

The vast majority of Taiwan’s people are clearly aware that Taiwan independence would lead to a “grave disaster,” Xi told an audience that included Taiwan business people and senior party officials.

“Chinese people don’t attack other Chinese people. We are willing to use the greatest sincerity and expend the greatest hard work to strive for the prospect of peaceful reunification,” Xi said.

“We do not promise to renounce the use of force and reserve the option to use all necessary measures” to achieve this goal and prevent Taiwan independence, he said.

This, though, was aimed at foreign forces who sought to interfere and the tiny minority of Taiwan independence forces and their activities, Xi said without elaborating in what was likely a reference to the United States, Taiwan’s strongest backer.

Speaking to reporters, Tsai said Taiwan would never accept “one country, two systems” and was proud of its democratic way of life.

“The vast majority in Taiwan resolutely oppose ‘one country, two systems.’ This is the ‘Taiwan consensus’,” she said.

“We call on China to bravely step forward for democracy, for only by doing so can it truly understand the people of Taiwan’s thinking and insistence.”

Xi reiterated that China was willing to talk with any party in Taiwan to push the political process—stalled by China since Tsai took office—as long as they accept the “one China” principle.

Underscoring China’s nervousness about US support in particular for Taiwan, US President Donald Trump on Monday signed into law the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act, which reaffirms the US commitment to Taiwan, including arms sales.

'Lasting peace'

Xi sought to reassure people in Taiwan that there was nothing to fear from Chinese rule, even though most people there have shown no interest in being run by autocratic Beijing.

“After peaceful reunification, Taiwan will have lasting peace and the people will enjoy good and prosperous lives. With the great motherland’s support, Taiwan compatriots’ welfare will be even better, their development space will be even greater,” Xi said.

Tsai, who says she wants to maintain the status quo with China, said on Tuesday China must use peaceful means to resolve its differences with Taiwan and respect its democratic values.

Beijing has regularly sent military aircraft and ships to circle the island on drills in the past few years and has heaped pressure on the island internationally, including whittling down its few remaining diplomatic allies.

Taiwan is gearing up for presidential elections in a year. Tsai’s party suffered stinging losses to the China-friendly Kuomintang in mayoral and local elections in November.

Xi was speaking on the anniversary of the “Message to Compatriots in Taiwan” on Jan. 1, 1979, when China declared an end to what had been routine artillery bombardment of Taiwan-controlled offshore islands and offered to open up communication between the two sides.

However, the offer was rebuffed by Taiwan’s then-president Chiang Ching-kuo, who in April that year came out with a “three nos” policy of no contact, no compromise and no negotiation with China.

Chiang only relaxed that in 1987, allowing people in Taiwan to visit China for family reunions. His father, Chiang Kai-shek, fled with defeated Nationalist forces to Taiwan in December 1949 after losing a civil war to the Communists.

The post China’s Xi Threatens Taiwan with Force but Also Seeks Peaceful ‘Reunification’ appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)