The Irrawaddy Magazine |
- Arakanese Politician, Author Sentenced to 20 Years in Rakhine State
- Stop ‘War Crimes’ in Rakhine or We’ll Join the Fight There, TNLA Tells Tatmadaw
- Coast, Caves and Island Treasures—Destination Guide to Myanmar’s Deep South
- President Nominates Replacement For Disgraced Tanintharyi Chief Minister
- Suu Kyi, Prayut Open 2nd Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge
- ANP Calls for Removing Military from Parliament in One Fell Swoop
- Six Civilians Injured in Shooting, Shelling in Downtown Mrauk-U
- Vietnamese Workers, Streaming to Japan, Face Risks as Labor System Opens Up
- China’s Xi Urges Teachers of Political Courses to Tackle ‘False Ideas’
- Myanmar Military Court to Probe Rohingya Atrocity Allegations
| Arakanese Politician, Author Sentenced to 20 Years in Rakhine State Posted: 19 Mar 2019 05:10 AM PDT SITTWE, Rakhine State — The Sittwe District Court in Rakhine State on Tuesday sentenced prominent ethnic Arakanese politician U Aye Maung and author Ko Wai Hin Aung to 20 years in prison for encouraging people to support a rebel group. The two were given 20 years in prison for high treason and another two years for defamation of the state to be served concurrently, Ko Wai Hin Aung’s lawyer, Daw Aye Nu Sein, told The Irrawaddy. The two were arrested and charged in January 2018 over remarks they made at a public event in Rathedaung Township commemorating the 233rd anniversary of the fall of the Arakan Kingdom that allegedly expressed and encouraged support for the rebel Arakan Army. A few days after the event, the Ministry of Home Affairs released a lengthy statement accusing U Aye Maung and Ko Wai Han Aung of having destabilized the community with their remarks. Daw Aye Nu Sein accused the prosecution of using video footage of their remarks out of context and said the politician and author were merely trying to entertain the crowd. "Though people were splitting their sides with laughter over their remarks, their quotes were taken out of context. It is against the law," she said. The two men were originally charged with high treason, defamation of the state and unlawful association, but the court dismissed the unlawful association charges in September. "It is against the law to file three separate charges against an individual for a single action, and punishment was handed down for two charges even though one charge was dismissed," Daw Aye Nu Sein said. "It is up to Dr. Aye Maung whether or not to appeal," she added. Dozens of locals waited for the ruling outside the Sittwe District Court, where tensions between police and supporters of the accused ran high. "The charges are completely unfair. What can we expect for the future of our country if an author and a lawmaker working for the country are given such punishment," said U Aung Htay, chairman of the Sittwe chapter of the Arakan National Party. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. The post Arakanese Politician, Author Sentenced to 20 Years in Rakhine State appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Stop ‘War Crimes’ in Rakhine or We’ll Join the Fight There, TNLA Tells Tatmadaw Posted: 19 Mar 2019 04:34 AM PDT The Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) has called on the Myanmar military to end its operations against the Arakan Army in Rakhine State, accusing government forces of targeting Arakanese civilians in the region and warning that this could prompt other ethnic armies to enter the fight on the AA's side. The Myanmar Army (or Tatmadaw) has been engaged in fierce fighting with the AA in Rakhine State in recent months. The AA and the TNLA are both members of the Northern Alliance of ethnic armed groups. The TNLA warned the Tatmadaw that if it did not end its military operations in the area, the Northern Alliance groups would fight alongside the AA. This would be a bad outcome for the country, Brigadier-General Tar Phone Kyaw of the TNLA told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday. "We want to ask the Myanmar Army and the government to stop committing war crimes in Arakan [Rakhine State]. We also want to tell them to stop shooting civilians," he said. The government's National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC) has invited members of the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee—a group of seven ethnic organizations—to attend peace negotiations in Naypyitaw. Representatives of the four-member Northern Alliance, which comprises FPNCC members, will travel to the capital soon to meet with the NRPC first. "It is a political conflict. We need to solve it through political dialogue. Therefore, we accepted their request to have a meeting in Naypyitaw. We will try this method first. We will see whether our first efforts are successful. If not, we will do what we need to do," Brig-Gen. Tar Phone Kyaw said. He said that as an ally of the AA, the TNLA could not stand by and watch the Myanmar Army killing and attacking people in Rakhine. "The TNLA will do what we can to help the AA. But now is not the right time to say [exactly] what we will do," he said. The fighting in northern Rakhine State reached the town of Mrauk-U in recent days. According to local sources, the Myanmar Army wounded civilians including a boy in an attack on the town on Monday night. Fighting continued in Mrauk-U on Tuesday morning. The Tatmadaw reportedly used jet fighters to attack AA positions outside the town. Three ethnic armed groups—the AA, TNLA and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army—issued a joint statement on Tuesday accusing the Myanmar Army of targeting civilians and attacking historic pagodas. "The Myanmar Army is conducting ongoing attacks in Mrauk-U. They used jet fighters and artillery, as well as rifles to target civilians and destroy historic heritage pagodas. Their actions are war crimes," the statement reads. The Myanmar Army launched a military offensive in Rakhine State over a month ago, prompting many reports of human right abuses in the region. The current wave of fighting broke out in Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships on Jan. 4, when the AA attacked four police bases and killed 13 security officials. Since then, fighting between the Myanmar Army and the AA has escalated and spread to other townships in the region including Mrauk-U, Rathedaung, Ponnagyun and Kyauktaw. Over 10,000 people have become IDPs after being forced to flee the fighting. According to the TNLA, whenever the Myanmar Army loses a significant number of troops in fighting in ethnic areas, it targets civilians. "The Myanmar Army should stop fighting in [Rakhine]. If not, the fighting will get worse in the region. We are worried that there have been many cases of human right abuses. We have found that [the Tatmadaw] has acted very badly in [Rakhine] compared to other ethnic areas when it comes to rights abuses," Brig-Gen. Tar Phone Kyaw said. The post Stop 'War Crimes' in Rakhine or We'll Join the Fight There, TNLA Tells Tatmadaw appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Coast, Caves and Island Treasures—Destination Guide to Myanmar’s Deep South Posted: 19 Mar 2019 04:19 AM PDT  Kawthoung Kawthoung is the city located at the southernmost tip of Myanmar and a quick boat across the water from Thailand's Ranong. It bustles with trade and tourism and crowds come from Thailand and beyond every day to get a taste of the nearby Myeik Archipelago. The leafy park above the coast road at Victoria Point features a giant statue of King Bayintnaung wielding his sword towards Thailand. This is also a great spot for views across the busy harbor below.  Starr Myeik Archipelago Touted as one of the world's last untouched island paradises, the 800 islands of Myeik were largely cut off to the public until just a few years ago. With development plans in the works for some of the islands, now is the time to take a multi-day cruise through the more remote parts of the archipelago and bask in the tranquility of deserted white-sand beaches and dense virgin jungle. The archipelago is said to have some of the best dive sites in the world and you may spot a family of the sea nomad ethnic group, the Moken (called Salone in Burmese).  Myeik The city of Myeik has been an important port city for centuries, with sea traders from across the globe docking in the harbor. The main streets have well-preserved European and oriental architecture and several mighty mansions built by wealthy traders are still in use. The fish processing part of town is interesting and worth a visit if you can hack the smell, while the bustling and colorful ship-building yard is a must-see.  Dawei The draw to Dawei usually leads travelers beyond the city to the beaches at Maungmagan and further along the coast. Maungmagan has wooden beach hut restaurants where you can order coconut water and delicious seafood. Walking south along the beach brings you to a picturesque fishing village while a motorbike trip north leads to deserted, pristine white sand beaches, like Nabule which is studded with dramatic boulders.  Mawlamyine The sleepy, peaceful Mawlamyine located at the mouth of Thanlwin River is actually Myanmar's fourth largest city. There are a number of beautiful pagodas to visit, like Mahamyatmuni Pagoda which has a great view across the town and down to the river. You can go back in time visiting colonial-era churches and other well-preserved architecture or see a local craft workshop on Bilu (Ogre) Island across the river. A short trip outside Mawlamyine lies Win Sein Taw Ya, said to be the longest reclining Buddha image in the world, which you can actually walk inside and see a series of life-size scenes from the Buddha's life.  Hpa-an The wonders of Hpa-an, the capital of Karen State, lie outside the town among the craggy limestone outcrops inside which you'll find caves both small and mighty. The huge Saddang Cave has religious monuments to the front and beautiful mineral formations to the back. Other good caves to visit include Kawkathaung and Kawgoon caves and at sunset, you can watch millions of bats swarm out of the "Bat Cave" by the river. Mount Papu is an easy trek while Mount Zwekabin (732 meters) is much more challenging yet rewarding with fantastic views from the pagoda at the top.  Golden Rock The famous gold leaf-covered rock with stupa on top teeters seemingly impossibly on the edge of a rocky mountain and is one of the most religiously important sites in Myanmar making it the destination for hundreds of thousands of Buddhist pilgrims every year. You can take a truck to the drop-off point a 45-minute walk from the rock itself, or choose to walk the pilgrim route from the base which takes around six hours. Back in Kin Pun, the base town serving visitors to Golden Rock, the beautiful Saung Hlaing Gyi waterfall is just a taxi or motorbike drive away and has a great swimming area and waterside shops where you can sit in the shade and order drinks and snacks. The post Coast, Caves and Island Treasures—Destination Guide to Myanmar's Deep South appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| President Nominates Replacement For Disgraced Tanintharyi Chief Minister Posted: 19 Mar 2019 02:25 AM PDT YANGON — President U Win Myint nominated Tanintharyi Region’s minister of natural resources and environmental conservation to replace Chief Minister Daw Lei Lei Maw, who was fired immediately after her arrest on corruption charges earlier this month. Tanintharyi Region Parliament Speaker U Khin Maung Aye told The Irrawaddy that the legislature received the nomination on Monday and that he has called lawmakers to an emergency session on Friday to discuss it. The regional minister for natural resources and environmental conservation, U Myint Maung, has been serving as acting chief minister since Daw Lei Lei Maw’s arrest on March 10. The ousted chief minister was arrested after a month-long investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) along with Global Grand Services Managing Director U Thein Htwe, Director U Aung Myat and General Manager U Thura Ohn. The ACC opened cases against all four under the Anti-Corruption Law. The ACC said Daw Lei Lei Maw misused her position on a number of occasions since April 2016, just weeks after she was appointed. A day after her arrest, the President’s Office announced that she had been fired. U Khin Maung Aye said he believed U Myint Maung was the right person for the job because he had experience serving in the regional cabinet and had overseen the local mining industry well over the past three years. U Myint Maung was elected to the local legislature to represent Kawthaung Township in the 2015 general election representing the National League for Democracy, which came to power in same poll. He is also the NLD secretary for Tanintharyi Region. "There is not much time to address all the problems that the region is facing, but I hope he can solve a few of them in the remaining term," U Khin Maung Aye said. The post President Nominates Replacement For Disgraced Tanintharyi Chief Minister appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Suu Kyi, Prayut Open 2nd Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge Posted: 19 Mar 2019 02:05 AM PDT YANGON—Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2nd Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge on the Kayin State-Thai border, State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said Myanmar is ready to work with Thailand for the mutual benefit of both peoples and described Thailand as having been a good neighbor since diplomatic relations began. On Tuesday, the State Counselor and Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha opened a new bridge linking Mae Sot district in Thailand's Tak province with Myanmar's border city of Myawaddy. A second Mae Sot Boundary Post was also opened alongside the bridge. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said the bridge would promote cross-border trade, investment, tourism and cultural exchange. Bilateral trade between Myanmar and Thailand stood at US$5 billion (7.7 trillion kyats) in fiscal 2017-2018, $4.3 billion in 2016-17, $4.8 billion in 2015-16, $5.7 billion in 2014-15, $5.6 billion in 2013-14, $4.7 billion in 2012-13, and $4.5 billion in 2011-12, according to the Ministry of Commerce. Thailand is Myanmar's third-biggest source of foreign investment. "The bridge is the result of working together to benefit both sides," the State Counselor said. Officials from both sides began survey work for the project in May 2012, and a groundbreaking ceremony was held in August 2015. Construction of the 3.9-billion-Thai-baht (190 billion kyats), 270-meter-long bridge took four years. The bridge lies on the East-West Economic Corridor, part of the Mekong-Japan cooperation scheme, Tokyo's grand infrastructure plan for the region. Within this plan, Myanmar sits on two major economic corridors: the East-West Economic Corridor connecting Vietnam's Dong Ha City with Yangon's Thilawa Special Economic Zone (SEZ) via Cambodia and Thailand, and the Southern Economic Corridor connecting central Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand to the Dawei SEZ in southeastern Myanmar. The plan aims to improve connectivity between Bangkok and Yangon along the East-West Corridor. The corridor will help businesses based in Bangkok extend their supply chains to Yangon (at the Thilawa SEZ). The Myanmar section of the East-West Corridor does not yet function as an international highway due to bottlenecks such as one-way stretches, a lack of paved roads, traffic difficulties in the rainy season and weight limitations. According to the Japan International Cooperation Agency, Tokyo plans to shorten transport time by constructing three bridges in Karen and Mon states—the Gyaing-Kawkareik Bridge, the Gyaing-Zathabyin Bridge and the Atran Bridge—as part of the East-West Economic Corridor. These are expected to reduce the time needed to transport goods the 870 km from Thilawa to Bangkok to one-and-a-half days. "I believe the [2nd Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge] will become a part of the Greater Mekong economic corridor. I also believe that it will [help] connect Southeast Asian countries along the East-West Economic Corridor," Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said. Modern Thai-Myanmar diplomatic relations were established in 1948. To mark the 70th anniversary of ties last year, the two sides agreed to enhance their "natural strategic partnership", particularly on border development and seamless connectivity, two areas deemed crucial for the prosperity of people living near the border on both sides. At the end of her speech, the State Counselor stressed that, "We have seen our relations improve in recent years. I would like to offer reassurances that [we] will work together with Thailand [for the benefit of both peoples]," she said. The post Suu Kyi, Prayut Open 2nd Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| ANP Calls for Removing Military from Parliament in One Fell Swoop Posted: 19 Mar 2019 12:34 AM PDT NAYPYITAW—The Arakan National Party (ANP) on Monday proposed amending the Constitution to establish a Union Parliament composed entirely of elected civilian lawmakers, according to Lower House lawmaker U Aung Kyaw Zan of the ANP. The party made the proposal at a meeting of the committee to draft amendments to the 2008 Constitution. While the ANP seeks a military-free legislature, the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) has proposed a gradual reduction in the 25 percent of all parliamentary seats the Constitution currently reserves for unelected military lawmakers, U Aung Kyaw Zan said. An NLD lawmaker on the committee who spoke on condition of anonymity told The Irrawaddy that the ruling party would rather take a pragmatic approach, believing it is unrealistic to ask the military to return to the barracks immediately. "We will need their [the military's] approval even to reduce their share [of seats]," he said. The NLD has proposed reducing the military block to 15 percent in the 2020 election, and by a further 5 percentage points at each general election. "Under Article 436, no amendment can be made to the Constitution without the approval of military-appointed lawmakers. So there is a need for serious negotiations between the leaders of the government, the Tatmadaw and the ruling party," political analyst Dr. Yan Myo Thein told The Irrawaddy. Military-appointed lawmakers declined to comment when asked about the ANP and NLD's proposals. NLD lawmaker U Aung Kyi Nyunt, who submitted the initial proposal that led to the formation of the committee to draft amendments to the 2008 Constitution, said the process is going smoothly and swiftly but declined to offer details. The committee has thus far discussed nearly 200 provisions from Chapters 1 through 4 of the 13-chapter Constitution. It has already submitted 48 proposed amendments relating to basic principles of the Union as described in Chapter 1. The ANP has also proposed downsizing the bicameral Union Parliament, U Aung Kyaw Zan said. "The cost of operating the Union Parliament is high. There is also a need for staff. The [bicameral] Union Parliament is unnecessary. When a decision needs to be put to a vote by the two houses, we just need to see how the majority of the Lower House votes," he said. Under normal conditions, there are 224 lawmakers in the Upper House and 440 in the Lower House. Currently, there are 657 lawmakers in the Union Parliament. The post ANP Calls for Removing Military from Parliament in One Fell Swoop appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Six Civilians Injured in Shooting, Shelling in Downtown Mrauk-U Posted: 18 Mar 2019 11:40 PM PDT MRAUK-U, Rakhine State — At least six residents of northern Rakhine State’s Mrauk-U Township were wounded by gun fire and artillery Monday night that locals say were fired by Myanmar military soldiers without provocation. The military has been fighting with the rebel Arakan Army (AA) in the north of the state since late last year. The main hospital in Mrauk-U said it was treating six people from the Yaung Haung quarter injured in the latest incident. Staff said that among the wounded were a husband and wife, Maung Win Yee and Daw Ye May, injured by an exploding artillery shell. The Mrauk-U Youth Association said local volunteers waited until the shooting and shelling ended to rescue the victims and take them to hospital for fear of being targeted themselves. One resident, Min Thu Kha, said he saw soldiers firing from a military truck while he was passing a branch office of Kanbawza Bank in downtown Mrauk-U, near U Ottama Park. “Bullets started flying from army trucks along the road. I could have died right there if I had not lied down on the ground.”  The bank building was also damaged by the shooting and shelling; the front door was blown off and the walls were pockmarked with bullet holes. A thatch house hit by the shelling burned to the ground. Daw Nyunt Aye’s home was also hit. When she heard the shooting start, she shuttered her shop but did not have time to turn off the lights. “When the army trucks drove slowly in front of my home, they shot bullets into my house, and an artillery shell exploded in my bedroom,” she said. She and her children survived the ordeal uninjured by lying on the ground. Ko Kyaw Naing, who runs a small shop near the bank, said the AA had not engaged the soldiers when the shooting started and that locals had been strolling the streets.  He said he saw about eight army trucks driving through town and heard someone yell, “Kill all these AA supporters.” They shot at the bank for about two minutes and hit his shop with a few rounds as well. A spokesman for the military’s Western Command said the soldiers were attacked by AA fighters while returning to Mrauk-U in the evening. He said the AA shot from residential areas and that the soldiers returned fire. "It was over after 8 p.m. Both sides used artillery. AA fighters are embed in the local population," he said. AA spokesman Khine Thukha denied that the group had any fighters imbedded in the local population and said it was not involved in any fighting in the area Monday night. He accused the military of “shooting in a thuggish manner to scare people off. They are cowards.” U Oo Hla Saw, a Lower House lawmaker and ethnic Arakanese, turned to his Facebook page to urge State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and military chief Sen. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing to restore order. “Sister and brother! I do apologize. Please don’t be cruel to Mrauk-U. Kill me or kill us, but spare Mrauk-U,” he posted. Locals gathered at the scene of the shooting early this morning but scattered at about 7:20 when the military fired more shells from the downtown neighborhood of Nan Yar Kon. Shops in the area quickly shut down and the streets were soon abandoned. A few domestic tourists also left for the state capital, Sittwe, in the morning. Over the weekend, artillery shells landed in the downtown heritage zone of Mrauk-U. One shell landed between the Htukkanthein temple and Shitthaung pagoda, where vendors set up shop during the day. Another landed near Myede pagoda, which sits beside a local residence. The post Six Civilians Injured in Shooting, Shelling in Downtown Mrauk-U appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Vietnamese Workers, Streaming to Japan, Face Risks as Labor System Opens Up Posted: 18 Mar 2019 10:37 PM PDT TOKYO—When a young Vietnamese woman found out late last year that she was pregnant after arriving in Japan on a "technical trainee" visa, she was given a stark choice: "Have an abortion or go back to Vietnam." But returning home would leave her unable to pay back the $10,000 she borrowed to pay recruiters there. "She needs to stay to pay back her debts," said Shiro Sasaki, secretary general of the Zentoitsu (All United) Workers Union, who has advocated on her behalf and said such threats were common. Buoyed by hopes of higher wages but burdened by loans, Vietnamese youth—the fastest-growing group of foreign workers in Japan—will be among those most affected by a new scheme to let in more blue-collar workers that kicks off in April. "Trainees from China have been declining as wages there rise with economic growth, while in Vietnam, unemployment is high for youth with high education levels, so many young people want to go abroad to work," said Futaba Ishizuka, a research fellow at the Institute of Developing Economies, a think tank. The technical trainee program is widely known as a back door for blue-collar labor in immigration-shy Japan. Reported abuses in Japan include low and unpaid wages, excessive hours, violence and sexual harassment. In Vietnam, unscrupulous recruiters and brokers often charge trainees exorbitant fees. Such problems will persist and could worsen under the new system, aimed at easing a historic labor shortage, according to interviews with activists, academics, unionists and trainees. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, whose conservative base fears a rise in crime and a threat to the country’s social fabric, has insisted that the new law, enacted in December, does not constitute an "immigration policy." That worries critics. "In fact, Japan is already a country of immigrants. But because they say it is not an 'immigration policy' and the premise is that people will not stay, they only take temporary steps," said Japan Civil Liberties Union director Akira Hatate. “The needs of society are not met, and the needs of the workers are not met." Growing numbers The trainee system began in 1993 with the aim of transferring skills to workers from developing countries. But persistent abuses developed early on, experts say. Those issues were spotlighted last year during debate over the new law. Among the high-profile cases was that of four companies' using trainees for decontamination work in areas affected by radiation after the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. Two firms, also accused of not paying appropriate wages, were banned from employing trainees for five years; the others got warnings from the justice ministry. A labor ministry survey published in June showed more than 70 percent of trainee employers had violated labor rules, with excessive hours and safety problems most common. That compared to 66 percent for employers overall. The Organization for Technical Intern Training (OTIT), a watchdog group, was set up in 2017. This month, it issued a reminder to employers that trainees are covered by Japanese labor law. It specifically banned unfair treatment of pregnant workers. Harsh conditions led more than 7,000 trainees to quit in 2017, experts say, many lured by shady brokers promising fake documentation and higher-paying jobs. Almost half were from Vietnam. Because trainees are not permitted to switch employers, leaving their jobs usually means losing legal visa status. A few go to shelters run by non-profit groups or get help from unionists; many disappear into a labor black market. "The situation is completely different from what they were told back home," said Shigeru Yamashita, managing director of the Vietnam Mutual Aid Association in Japan. "They have debts they cannot repay with their salaries at home, so the only option is to flee into the black market for labor." Addressing shortages The new law will allow about 345,000 blue-collar workers to enter Japan over five years in 14 sectors such as construction and nursing care, which face acute labor shortages. One category of "specified skilled workers" can stay up to five years but cannot bring families. A second category of visas—currently limited to the construction and shipbuilding industries—allows workers to bring families and be eligible to stay longer. Nguyen Thi Thuy Phuong, 29, left her husband and elementary-school-age child home in Vietnam to work as a trainee in a knitwear factory in Mitsuke City in northern Japan. The textile industry was not included in the new visa program after coming under fire for the high number of labor violations in its trainee programs. Now she wishes she could bring her family and stay longer than three years. “Life in Japan is convenient, and the air is clean,” she told Reuters in careful Japanese during a break from work. For-profit employment agencies and individuals can register as liaisons between recruiters and employers. These "registered support organisations" will not need licenses. Immigration authorities will provide oversight of the new foreign workers; the labor ministry’s immigration bureau will become an agency on April 1, a bureaucratic distinction that gives it more clout. On Friday, the justice ministry issued fresh rules for the new system, including a requirement that foreign workers be paid at least as much as Japanese employees. But Sasaki said the agency’s focus would be residence status, not labor conditions. Some companies have woken up to the risk of losing investors if they or their suppliers violate workers’ rights, said Japan Civil Liberties Union’s Hatate. But the rush to implement the new law has left local authorities worried that too little has been done to support and integrate more foreigners. "If there is not a proper framework to accept them and they are thought of as purely a way to fill the labor shortage, for certain there will be major problems," Yuji Kuroiwa, governor of Kanagawa Prefecture near Tokyo, told Reuters. Takashi Takayama, whose Vietnamese name is Cao Son Quy, fled Vietnam as a refugee in 1979. He recalled how foreigners were laid off in droves after the 2008 global financial crisis and fears a similar scenario when demand for labor eases after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. "When the Olympics are over, I think a tragic event will occur," Takayama said at a Vietnamese New Year celebration at a Catholic church outside Tokyo. "I don’t want to see that." The post Vietnamese Workers, Streaming to Japan, Face Risks as Labor System Opens Up appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| China’s Xi Urges Teachers of Political Courses to Tackle ‘False Ideas’ Posted: 18 Mar 2019 10:03 PM PDT BEIJING—Chinese educators must respond to "false ideas and thoughts" when teaching political and ideological classes, President Xi Jinping said, in a sensitive year that marks the 30th anniversary of student-led protests around Tiananmen Square. Beijing has campaigned against the spread of "Western values" in education, especially at universities, and the ruling Communist Party’s anti-corruption watchdog has sent inspectors to monitor teachers for "improper" remarks in class. Addressing a symposium for teachers of ideological and political theory in Beijing, Xi said the party must nurture generations of talent to support its leadership and China’s socialist system, state media said late on Monday. "It is essential to gradually open and upgrade ideological and political theory courses in primary, secondary and tertiary schools, which is an important guarantee for training future generations who are well-prepared to join the socialist cause," media paraphrased Xi as saying. "Ideological and political courses should deliver the country’s mainstream ideology and directly respond to false ideas and thoughts," Xi added. The report did not elaborate. The government has previously admitted that political education for university students was outdated and unfashionable, though the education minister said last year this problem had been fixed. Xi alluded to that in his comments. "We are fully confident of and capable of running ideological and political theory courses better," he said. "Thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era should be used to educate people and guide students to strengthen their confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics and to boost patriotism," Xi added. Crackdowns on what academics and students can say and should think are nothing new in China. Courses and speech at universities, in particular, are tightly controlled by the government, fearful of a repeat of pro-democracy protests in 1989 led by students and eventually bloodily crushed by the military. In 2013, a liberal Chinese economist who had been an outspoken critic of the party was expelled from the elite Peking University. A year later, the university, once a bastion of free speech in China, established a 24-hour system to monitor public opinion on the internet and take early measures to rein in negative speech, a party journal said at the time. China aims to build world-class universities and some of its top schools fare well in global rankings, but critics argue curbs on academic freedom could inhibit those ambitions. The post China’s Xi Urges Teachers of Political Courses to Tackle ‘False Ideas’ appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Myanmar Military Court to Probe Rohingya Atrocity Allegations Posted: 18 Mar 2019 09:31 PM PDT YANGON—Myanmar’s military said on Monday it had set up a military court to investigate its conduct during a crackdown on the Rohingya Muslim minority in 2017 that forced more than 730,000 to flee to neighboring Bangladesh. The court comprising a major-general and two colonels will investigate events in western Myanmar’s Rakhine State in August 2017, the military said in a statement posted on the website of Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, the army commander-in-chief. "The information is released that the investigation court was formed with the following persons to further scrutinize and confirm the respective incidents," the military said. The court will respond to allegations made by the United Nations and rights groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch accusing security forces of mass killings, rape and arson. Myanmar forces launched their offensive in Rakhine State in response to a series of attacks by Rohingya insurgents on security posts near the Bangladesh border. A UN fact-finding mission last year said the military campaign was orchestrated with "genocidal intent" and recommended charging Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing and five other generals with the "gravest crimes under international law." Myanmar has denied the accusations of murder, rape and other abuses by its forces though Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing said last month "a number of security men may have been involved." A previous military investigation in 2017 exonerated the security forces of any crimes. The new court is "another bad faith maneuver" to fend off international pressure, said Nicholas Bequelin, Southeast Asia and Pacific Director of Amnesty International. "The military stands accused of the gravest crimes under international law and has shown no sign of reform," he said. "The idea that the Tatmadaw could investigate itself and ensure justice and accountability is both dangerous and delusional," Bequelin added, referring to the military. The military information unit did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Myanmar is facing growing international calls for accountability over the Rakhine campaign. The International Criminal Court has opened a preliminary examination into the violence, while a commission of enquiry formed by Myanmar and including Filipino diplomat Rosario Manalo and Kenzo Oshima, Japan’s former ambassador to the UN, is due to publish its findings this year. The creation of the military court was based on assessments and suggestions from the military-appointed Judge Advocate-General, as well the allegations contained in human rights reports, according to the army statement. The post Myanmar Military Court to Probe Rohingya Atrocity Allegations appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
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